Glycohaemoglobin: a crucial measurement in modern diabetes management - Progress towards standardisation and improved precision of measurement

Abstract

There are currently four principal glycohaemoglobin assay techniques (ion-exchange chromatography, electrophoresis, affinity chromatography and immunoassay) and about 20 different methods that measure different glycated products and report different units. Standardisation will lead to all assays reporting results in a standard unit, the HbA1c percentage of total serum haemoglobin, and should be in place within the next one to three years. In the interim, clinicians using glycohaemoglobin assays should be aware that the ranges indicating good and poor glycaemic control can vary markedly between different assays. The reproducibility of some assays may be insufficient to provide definitive evid..