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Material submitted for publication in the Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa (JEMDSA) is accepted provided it has not been published elsewhere. JEMDSA reserves copyright of the material published. Neither JEMDSA nor the Publisher may be held responsible for statements made by the authors.
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Should haemoglobin A1c be used for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in South Africa?
Abstract
Diabetes is an important medical problem in sub-Saharan Africa. It has traditionally been diagnosed by means of fasting plasma glucose, random blood glucose or an oral glucose tolerance test. Each of these has limitations and, in 2009, an expert committee of the American Diabetes Association recommended using the haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) to diagnose diabetes mellitus.1 The aim of this paper is to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of using HbA1c as a diagnostic method for diabetes, and its applicability in the South African setting.
Keywords: diabetes, glycated haemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, oral glucose tolerance test
