Last update:
   22-Mar-2022
 

Arch Hellen Med, 39(1), January-February 2022, 45-53

REVIEW

Glycosylated hemoglobin in the prevention, diagnosis, and regulation of diabetes mellitus:
Current data

A. Kavvada,1 D. Kavvadas,2 G. Intzes,2 M. Chatzidimitriou,1 T. Papamitsou2
1School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, International Hellenic University, Sindos, Thessaloniki,
2Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic syndrome that has direct consequences on health, shapes the daily life of the patient, and causes susceptibility to many pathological conditions. Its timely diagnosis and regulation are therefore imperative. In this endeavor, two key biochemical indicators are glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), the increase in which is due to dysfunction and or lack of insulin. HbA1c is a glycoprotein that is normally present in very small amounts in the blood, but it increases significantly in patients with DM. A variety of laboratory methods are used for measuring the blood level of HbA1c, including HPLC-mass spectrometry and HPLC-capillary electrophoresis, and easy-to-use automated systems are available. Applications of HbA1c measurement include the control of DM, and especially of type 2, and with the development of laboratory techniques, it is now considered a very sensitive diagnostic indicator. International organizations have unanimously set the diagnostic threshold at 6.5%, but levels of HbA1c that approach, but do not exceed, the diagnostic point are affected by many individual factors (e.g., age, nationality, individual history), which makes definition of international guidelines difficult.

Key words: Biomarker, Diabetes mellitus, Diagnosis, Glycosylated hemoglobin.

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