Current recommendations for screening and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and prediabetes – the importance of glycated haemoglobin

Overview

Krollová P, Frühaufová A, Urbanová J, Lustigová M, Koželuhová M, Michalec J, Duong TA, Brož J. Current recommendations for screening and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and prediabetes – the importance of glycated haemoglobin

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is steadily increasing. It is essential to focus on early diagnosis of both diabetes and prediabetes. The basic diagnostic methods used in the Czech Republic include the fasting glycaemia test and the oral glucose tolerance test. As an alternative method, glycated haemoglobin can be used for diagnosis. In this review, we summarize the current diagnostic options, their advantages and disadvantages and evaluate in detail the possibility of using glycated haemoglobin. The main disadvantage of glycated hemoglobin is its lower sensitivity in the diagnosis of both diabetes and prediabetes. However, the major advantage is the possibility of performing the test without prior fasting and preparation of the patient.

Keywords:

oral glucose tolerance test – diabetes mellitus – glycated haemoglobin – prediabetes – diagnosis of diabetes – fasting glycaemia