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Predicting Diabetes in Children and Adolescents
Diabetes Care; 2017 Jan 1; Vijayakumar, et al
HbA1c can predict diabetes and prediabetes risk in children and adolescents, according to a study involving 5,000 individuals.
Participants—all of whom did not have diabetes at baseline—were either 10 to 19 or 20 to 39 years of age, and were followed for between 10 and 20 years. Investigators looked at levels of HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and 2-hour postload plasma glucose (2hPG). Among the results:
- Males in the younger age group with HbA1c≥5.7% had a 4-fold higher risk of developing diabetes, compared with those in their age group with A1c≤5.3%.
- The risk was nearly 7-fold higher in females with higher A1clevels.
A1c level was able to identify children and adolescents who later developed diabetes just as well as FPG and 2hPG levels.
- Risk ratios observed in the younger age group were higher than what was seen in adults in the same A1c categories.
Vijayakumar P, Nelson R, Hanson R, Knowler W, Sinha M. HbA1c and the prediction of type 2 diabetes in children and adults. Diabetes Care. 2017;40(1):16-21. doi:10.2337/dc16-1358.