1Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Kanchipuram
2Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Madha Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai
3Professor Madha Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai
4Medical Student, Madha Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai
*Corresponding Author: Madhan Srinivasan K Medical Student, Madha Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai, Email: madhan94@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 2 November, 2018.
HbA1c is a reliable biomarker and an indicator of insulin resistance for testing individuals for diabetes and prediabetes. The normal range for the HbA1c level is between 4% and 5.6%. Change in the total haemoglobin concentration is generally not included during the assay of the haemoglobin. The aim of the study is to study the effect of anemia on HbA1c levels in individuals with controlled diabetes.
It is a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 76 individuals with controlled diabetics. Haemoglobin assay, HbA1c assay, Random blood sugar and peripheral smear study was done in all subjects. The subjects are divided into three groups based in haemoglobin levels: Group I (>14 g/dl), Group II (9–14 g/dl), Group III (<9 g/dl).
There is a significant statistical difference between haemoglobin levels and RBS in group I, II and III, (p = 0.000). There is no significant difference between HbA1c between the groups. It is found that in Group II there is significant negative correlation between the haemoglobin and RBS (r=-0.350, p= 0.05) as well as between haemoglobin and HbA1c. (r=-0.412, p=0.021).
It is concluded that HbA1c levels increase in diabetics with anemia compared to diabetics without anemia. This variation questions the sovereignty of using HbA1c levels, -as a yardstick to assess blood glucose levels among anaemic.
HbA1c, haemoglobin, anaemia, diabetes
