Glycated albumin may be a possible alternative to hemoglobin A1c in diabetic patients with anemia.

BACKGROUND

We assessed whether glycated albumin (GA) is a useful glycemic indicator in diabetic patients with anemia who did not undergo dialysis.

METHODS

Hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) and GA were simultaneously measured in 370 diabetic subjects who had not undergone dialysis. The relationship between GA and HbA(1c) was evaluated in patients with and without anemia.

RESULTS

GA-to-HbA(1c) ratio was significantly higher (3.3±0.7 vs. 2.8±0.5, p<0.001) and the regression slope between GA and HbA(1c) was steeper in diabetic patients with than in those without anemia (6.2 vs. 4.2, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

HbA(1c) was underestimated in diabetic patients with anemia than in those without anemia, with the degree of underestimation increasing as glycemic control became poorer. GA may more accurately assess glycemic control in diabetic patients with anemia than HbA(1c).