Since it was first introduced in the mid to late 1990s, measurement of plasma levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) has become a widely used clinical tool for diagnosis and monitoring of glycaemic control in Type 1 and 2 Diabetes. However, its use and clinical benefit for diagnosing diabetes remains the subject of some controversy amongst diabetologists.
In an opening lecture at the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference 2010, Professor Eric Kilpatrick from Hull discussed the - in his view - rather limited advantage of HbA1c over fasting plasma glucose levels and oral glucose tolerance test, in the context of numerous shortcomings.
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Tags: Diabetes
