Glycated haemoglobin does not offer true diabetes diagnosis for some Chinese, says report

A new study in China has revealed that the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes should not focus on glycated haemoglobin levels for the She Chinese population, as they have a low test sensitivity for this kind of assessment.
The scientists, in conjunction with the Chinese Endocrinology Association of China, have warned that the low sensitivity of the She Chinese indicated they have a maximum value of 6.1 per cent for levels of glycated haemoglobin levels, and that those at high risk with values above 6.1 per cent should have regular blood glucose measurements and be closely evaluated for signs of early type 2 diabetes .
The research, which was published in the Journal of Endocrinology Investigatio, involved 687 She Chinese people that were aged between 20 and 77, and who were given an oral glucose tolerance test. The participants were split into five groups: normal glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, impaired glucose regulation and diabetes mellitus, with a variety of cut-off values for glycated haemoglobin being used to classify glucose tolerance .
Those with a cut-off value of 6.9 per cent was found to be optimal for diagnosing diabetes mellitus, while the optimal cut-off point for all other glucose tolerance levels was determined to be 6.1 per cent. It was also shown that glycated haemoglobin was a potential marker for cardiovascular risk.