Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Is A1c better than an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in diabetes management?
The prevalence of diabetes keeps increasing in the United States and challenges often arise when managing patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Diagnosis and adequate glycemic control relies mostly on A1c levels. However, its diagnostic capability has been questioned to a certain extent in various clinical settings. For instance, debates have risen in terms of which A1c value better predicts outcomes in these patients. Previous studies have looked at the use of A1c and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and their threshold values. Some studies question the ability to predict cardiovascular complications, others question its diagnostic ability in certain patient populations. For instance, in a cohort study conducted in Denmark by Gokulan Pararajasingam and colleagues, the predictive value of A1c and OGTT and the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality was examined. In this study, it was observed that OGTT and A1c did not provide any prognosis benefit in cardiovascular outcomes when they are analyzed separately. Nonetheless, it was seen that when both are taken into consideration, there is better long-term prognosis. Similar studies have looked into the relevance of both of these tests, independently and in conjunction.
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/hba1c-and-ogtt-understanding-the-differences/
The prevalence of diabetes keeps increasing in the United States and challenges often arise when managing patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Diagnosis and adequate glycemic control relies mostly on A1c levels. However, its diagnostic capability has been questioned to a certain extent in various clinical settings. For instance, debates have risen in terms of which A1c value better predicts outcomes in these patients. Previous studies have looked at the use of A1c and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and their threshold values. Some studies question the ability to predict cardiovascular complications, others question its diagnostic ability in certain patient populations. For instance, in a cohort study conducted in Denmark by Gokulan Pararajasingam and colleagues, the predictive value of A1c and OGTT and the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality was examined. In this study, it was observed that OGTT and A1c did not provide any prognosis benefit in cardiovascular outcomes when they are analyzed separately. Nonetheless, it was seen that when both are taken into consideration, there is better long-term prognosis. Similar studies have looked into the relevance of both of these tests, independently and in conjunction.
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/hba1c-and-ogtt-understanding-the-differences/
