title: HbA(1c) in adults without known diabetes from southern Europe. Impact of the new diagnostic criteria in clinical practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the differences in the prevalence of diabetes and dysglycaemia using fasting plasma glucose and HbA(1c) criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analytical cross-sectional study undertaken in a random sample of 2144 individuals (age 18-80 years) without known diabetes from the primary care setting in Malaga (Spain). Dysglycaemia was defined as fasting plasma glucose 5.6-6.9 mmol/l or HbA(1c) 39-46 mmol/mol (5.7-6.4%) and diabetes as fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/l or HbA(1c)≥ 48 mmol/mol (≥ 6.5%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of subjects who were normoglycaemic was significantly higher using fasting plasma glucose than HbA(1c) (83.5 vs. 65%) (P < 0.0001). Compared with fasting plasma glucose, HbA(1c) detects more cases of dysglycaemia (32 vs. 14.8%) (P < 0.0001) and diabetes (3 vs. 1.7%) (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our environment, using HbA(1c) for the diagnosis of pre-diabetes and diabetes could increase the target population for preventive and therapeutic measures. Further cost-effectiveness studies are needed before the widespread diagnostic use of HbA(1c) can be recommended.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Endocrinology Department, Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga, Madrid, Spain. rbernallopez@yahoo.es
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bernal-Lopez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santamaría-Fernandez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lopez-Carmona
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tinahones
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mancera-Romero
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peña-Jimenez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jansen-Chaparro
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Baca-Osorio
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cuesta-Muñoz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serrano-Rios
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomez-Huelgas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human