Introduction of glycated albumin measurement for all blood donors and the prevalence of a high glycated albumin level in Japan.
(J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2012.00224.x, 2012) Aims/Introduction:  The Japanese Red Cross Society introduced measurement of glycated albumin (GA) for all blood donors as a glycemic control marker. The GA levels were examined by sex and age.


METHODS
GA was measured in 3.14 million blood donors who donated between April 2009 and March 2010. For the reference range for GA, values that were three times the reference range for glycated hemoglobin (Japan Diabetes Society value) were used. All donors were notified of their GA levels. For repeat donors, a comparison was made between the GA levels at the first and second donations to verify the GA change after notification.


RESULTS
The mean GA was significantly lower in males than in females in donors aged <60 years. The mean GAs of both sexes increased with age and reached the same level of 14.8% in their 60s. The percentage of donors with prediabetes/diabetes (GA ≥16.5%) was 2.8% in males and 2.3% in females. In the normal high group (15.6% ≤ GA < 16.5%), the mean GA at the second donation was lower by 0.20% than at the first donation. In 42.4% of these donors, GA decreased to the normal range at the second donation.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, 2.7% of otherwise healthy Japanese blood donors had a high GA (GA ≥16.5%). Donor blood screening for GA represents an effective measure to identify people at risk of diabetes. The decrease in the GA level after GA notification might indicate the potential usefulness of this strategy to improve glycemic control among people with high GA.
Japanese Red Cross Society Central Blood Institute, Tokyo.
Takeshi
T
Araki
Japanese Red Cross Society Central Blood Institute, Tokyo.
Yoshihide
Y
Ishikawa
Japanese Red Cross Society Central Blood Institute, Tokyo.
Hitoshi
H
Okazaki
Japanese Red Cross Osaka South Blood Center, Osaka.
Yoshihiko
Y
Tani
Japanese Red Cross Fukui Blood Center, Fukui.
Shigetake
S
Toyooka
Japanese Red Cross Society Central Blood Institute, Tokyo.
Masahiro
M
Satake
Japanese Red Cross Ishikawa Blood Center, Ishikawa, Japan.
Umeo
U
Miwa
Japanese Red Cross Society Central Blood Institute, Tokyo.
Kenji
K
Tadokoro
Glycated albumin; prediabetes mellitus; screening