title: A comparison of glycated albumin and glycosylated hemoglobin for the screening of diabetes mellitus in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Glycated albumin (GA) values reflect an average plasma glucose level over approximately 2-4 weeks, and the assay is stable and can be run on serum or plasma. The aim of this study was to determine the universality and the clinical utility of GA in screening for diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects consisted of 2192 male and female residents in Yi-lan County, Northern Taiwan (mean age 60.1 years), of whom 54.2% (n = 1188) had previously been diagnosed and treated for diabetes. Fasting blood samples were obtained to measure HbA1c, plasma glucose, serum GA, insulin, and measures of kidney and liver function. The reference values for these parameters were determined. Data from patients with diabetes and non-diabetic controls were also compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean GA values were 13.8% in controls and 18.1% in diabetic subjects (31.2% higher, p < 0.0001), while mean HbA1c values were 5.6% in controls and 7.2% in diabetic subjects (29.2% higher, p < 0.0001). The 95th percentile values for GA and HbA1c in controls were 16.1% and 6.2%, respectively. Our suggested GA and HbA1c cut-points for prediabetes at the 75th percentile of the normal population would be 14.6% and 5.8%, respectively. For both parameters, values greater than these cut-points provided a reasonable degree of specificity and sensitivity for risk of having diabetes, while a GA value of 16.5% corresponds to an HbA1c level of 6.5%, diagnostic of diabetes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that GA values can be used as a surrogate parameter for HbA1c in screening for prediabetes and diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science and Bioethics, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of General Internal Medicine, Luodong Poh-ai Hospital, Luodong, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Powen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science and Bioethics, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Insured Medical Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: ai.vasc@tmd.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science and Bioethics, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Nephrology, Tokyo Kyosai Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiichiro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.affiliation: Neng-Chun Diabetes Clinic, Yi-lan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Neng-Chun
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Luodong Poh-ai Hospital, Luodong, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Lien
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Luodong Poh-ai Hospital, Luodong, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Huan-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Luodong Poh-ai Hospital, Luodong, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Diagnostics Department, Asahi-Kasei Pharma Corporation, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kohzuma
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ernst J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science and Bioethics, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis*; D013624:Taiwan; D000093423:Glycated Serum Albumin
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D007328:Insulin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D000093423:Glycated Serum Albumin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Glucose lowering medication; Glycated albumin; Glycosylated hemoglobin; Prevention; Reference range; Taiwan