Estimation of HbA1c response to sitagliptin by change in glycated albumin level for 2 weeks.
Aims/Introduction:  Since glycated albumin (GA) reflects shorter-term (about 2 weeks) control of plasma glucose levels compared with HbA1c, GA is thought to be a useful glycemic control indicator for the early period following commencement of the treatment of diabetes. In this study, we attempted to estimate HbA1c using the change in GA level before and after the first 2 weeks (ΔGA2w) of administration of sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor.


METHODS
The study included 28 patients with type 2 diabetes who were administered sitagliptin at a dose of 50 mg/day for 12 weeks.


RESULTS
At 2 weeks after administration of sitagliptin, GA markedly decreased, while HbA1c had only slightly decreased. A significant positive correlation was observed between the ΔGA2w and the change in HbA1c before and after the first 12 weeks of administration of sitagliptin (ΔHbA1c12w) (R = 0.793, P < 0.0001). The latter was about 0.6 times the former. The estimated HbA1c after 12 weeks of therapy was calculated by adding ΔGA2w × 0.6 to the baseline HbA1c. A significant positive correlation was observed between the estimated HbA1c and the measured HbA1c after 12 weeks (R = 0.735, P < 0.0001) and both were similar levels.


CONCLUSIONS
HbA1c in the first 12 weeks after administration of sitagliptin could be estimated from the formula using the ΔGA2w. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2011.00167.x, 2011).
Division of Innovative Diabetes Treatment.
Tomoya
T
Hamaguchi
Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki Central Hospital, Itami, Hyogo, Japan.
Masafumi
M
Koga
Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki Central Hospital, Itami, Hyogo, Japan.
Jun
J
Murai
Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki Central Hospital, Itami, Hyogo, Japan.
Hiroshi
H
Saito
Department of Internal Medicine, Nishinomiya Municipal Central Hospital, Nishinomiya.
Daisuke
D
Tamada
Department of Internal Medicine, Nishinomiya Municipal Central Hospital, Nishinomiya.
Shogo
S
Kurebayashi
Division of Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine.
Tomoyuki
T
Katsuno
Division of Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine.
Jun-Ichiro
J
Miyagawa
Division of Innovative Diabetes Treatment ; Division of Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine.
Mitsuyoshi
M
Namba
Glycated albumin; HbA1c; Incretin