title: Significance of HbA1c Test in Diagnosis and Prognosis of Diabetic Patients.
abstract: Diabetes is a global endemic with rapidly increasing prevalence in both developing and developed countries. The American Diabetes Association has recommended glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as a possible substitute to fasting blood glucose for diagnosis of diabetes. HbA1c is an important indicator of long-term glycemic control with the ability to reflect the cumulative glycemic history of the preceding two to three months. HbA1c not only provides a reliable measure of chronic hyperglycemia but also correlates well with the risk of long-term diabetes complications. Elevated HbA1c has also been regarded as an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke in subjects with or without diabetes. The valuable information provided by a single HbA1c test has rendered it as a reliable biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of diabetes. This review highlights the role of HbA1c in diagnosis and prognosis of diabetes patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, The Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Shariq I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Sherwani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Haseeb A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Aishah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekhzaimy
authors.affiliation: Obesity Research Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Afshan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masood
authors.affiliation: Drug Discovery and Development Research Group, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Meena K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sakharkar
keywords: HbA1c; blood test; diabetes; diagnosis; prognosis