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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Chicago, IL, Over the past two decades hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) has become an accepted and reliable measure of long-term glycemic control in diabetics, but glucose remained the “gold standard” when it came to diagnosing diabetes. Now, however, a new study from the International Expert Committee (IEC) recommends the use of HbA1c rather than glucose for diagnosis of diabetes.
This week at AACC’s 2009 Annual Meeting, which is being held at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL, diabetes experts will gather to discuss this dramatic change and examine its impact on diabetes care and laboratory medicine.
The IEC included members appointed by the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and the International Diabetes Federation. “The report is being considered by the relevant committees of each of these groups,” said Dr. David B. Sacks, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, who pointed out that the recommendation to measure HbA1c rather than glucose for diagnosis of diabetes is a major departure from all prior guidelines. “Although the specific details of the recommendations to be proposed by these bodies have not been decided, it appears highly likely that all of the major clinical diabetes organizations will adopt HbA1c measurement for the diagnosis of diabetes.”
Dr. Sacks has authored an editorial on this topic in the August issue of AACC’s peer-reviewed journal Clinical Chemistry, titled “The Diagnosis of Diabetes is Changing: How Implementation of Hemoglobin A1c Will Impact Clinical Laboratories.”
The question now in front of laboratory groups like AACC is how best to accommodate this sea change once the clinical groups issue their new diagnostic criteria, and this topic will receive intense scrutiny at a seminar being held as part of AACC’s 2009 Annual Meeting at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL. Dr. Sacks will be moderating the July 22 afternoon symposium, titled Laboratory Medicine Practice Guidelines for Laboratory Analysis in Diabetes,” where speakers will focus on ADA/EASD criteria for screening and diagnosing diabetes; the ADA criteria for diagnosing diabetes in pregnant women; and the use of handheld glucose meters in ICU patients.
Members of the press with an interest in diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes are invited to attend this important session. For instructions on receiving a complimentary press registration, contact Sue Parham in the AACC Press Office (see info at top of page)
AACC, based in Washington, DC, is a leading professional society dedicated to improving healthcare through laboratory medicine. Its over 9,000 members are clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists, and others involved in developing tests and directing laboratory operations. AACC brings this community together with programs that advance knowledge, expertise, and innovation. AACC’s Annual Meeting, which attracts around 20,000 delegates, is the world’s largest conference on laboratory medicine and technology.
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