Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

Blood Programs: Portal for Diabetes Screening?

Study finds it may help identify problems earlier

Publish date:: August 7, 2015

As diabetes and prediabetes becomes more prevalent in adolescents, blood donation programs can become an entryway for screening and intervention.

A prospective, cross-sectional study of more than 31,000 blood donors aged 16-19 showed substantial increases in total cholesterol, blood pressure (BP), and HbA_1c.

Specifically, the prevalence of elevated HbA_1c was 11.5% overall, and 11% in the prediabetes group. It was higher in boys (15.7%) than girls (7.9%) . It was particularly high in racial and ethnic minorities, as follows:

• Blacks: 32.7%

• Asians: 19.7%

• Hispanics: 13.1%

• Whites: 8.0%

Additionally, total cholesterol and BP was significantly higher in those whose HbA_1c levels were increased.

Investigators suggested that blood programs be considered for diabetes screening, public health interventions, and triaging to medical care based on risk.

Citation: Gore M, Eason S, Ayers C, et al. High prevalence of elevated haemoglobin A1C among adolescent blood donors: Results from a voluntary screening programme including 31,546 adolescents. Diab Vasc Dis Res. 2015; 12(4)272-278.

This Week's Must Reads

Higher dose maximizes effects of magnesium sulfate for obese women,

Microplastics permeate human placentas,

One in five gestational carriers do not meet ASRM criteria,

Gender surgical outcomes differ following puberty suppression,

COVID-19 vaccine found effective but doctors watching for reactions, adverse events,

Must Reads in Diabetes

Sac/val heart failure benefit extends to diabetes patients,

Don’t miss cardiovascular risk factors in transgender patients,

Semaglutide shows promise in NASH phase 2 study,

‘Modest’ benefit for post-MI T2D glucose monitoring,

Diabetic neuropathic pain linked to brain bioenergic anomalies,