A1C as a Diagnostic Tool for Diabetes

A1C as a diagnostic tool for diabetes
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Use of glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) as a diagnostic tool for prediabetes and Type 2 daibetes
In the past, diagnosis of diabetes was usually done by using plasma glucose test either using the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) or the plasma glucose (2-h PG) value after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGIT 4) (American Diabetes Association, 2014). However, a recent study in the medical field has discovered a third alternative for diagnosing the two types of diabetes. The third alternative involves the use Glycosylated hemoglobin, which was discovered by the International Expert Committee (threshold>6.5%). The test involves removing a small amount of blood from a patient suspected to have diabetes. The blood sample is tested to determine the concentration of the red blood cells whose cell structures glucose molecules attached to them eventually determining the glucose concentration in the blood. However, it is worth of notes that the A1C tests will give a weighted average of blood glucose control. This is because the blood sample used for the tests contains red blood cells that varies in age.
American Diabetes Association (2014)asserts that the A1c test should be conducted using methods that are recommended and certified by the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) and standardized to the Diabetes Control and Complication Trial (DCCT). Fennel (2009) notes that an A1c level of below 7 % will suggest that the majority of the suspected patients have diabetes. In addition, Fennel (2009) notes that A1C results of 5.7% to 6.4% would suggest that the suspected patient ‘s blood glucose level is within the prediabetes range while an A1C test result of above 6.5% will indicates that the patient under test has diabetes. However, (ADA, 20140 notes that A1C level may differ according to the patient race or ethnicity since Glycation rates may differ by race or ethnicity. For instance, African Americans have higher rates of Glycation which results in a higher A1C level as compared to non-Hispanic whites. The study conducted by Damsgaard and Pedersen in 2013 in the Greenland also found similar results that the A1C tests can be problematic while dealing with varying races. Damsgaard and Pedersen (2013) found that the A1C tests does not requires the patient to fast as compared to fasting plasma glucose (FPG) or glucose plasma value ( 2h-PG).
Neverthele...