Diabetes Metab J.  2016 Apr;40(2):167-170. 10.4093/dmj.2016.40.2.167.

Glycosylated Hemoglobin Threshold for Predicting Diabetes and Prediabetes from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

• Hong S
• Kang JG
• Kim CS
• Lee SJ
• Park CY
• Lee CB
• Ihm SH

• KMID: 2162089
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2016.40.2.167

Abstract

We aimed to estimate the threshold level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) for the fasting plasma glucose of 100 and 126 mg/dL in the Korean adult population, using the 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 4,481 participants over 19 years of age without diabetic medications and conditions to influence the interpretation of HbA1c levels, such as anemia, renal insufficiency, liver cirrhosis, and cancers, were analyzed. A point-wise area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to estimate the optimal HbA1c cutoff value. A HbA1c threshold of 6.35% was optimal for predicting diabetes with a sensitivity of 86.9% and a specificity of 99.1%. Furthermore, the threshold of HbA1c was 5.65% for prediabetes, with a sensitivity of 69.3% and a specificity of 71%. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the HbA1c cutoff point for diagnosing prediabetes and diabetes in the Korean population.

Keyword

Diabetes mellitus; Diagnosis; Hemoglobin A; Glycosylated

MeSH Terms

Adult
Anemia
Blood Glucose
Diabetes Mellitus
Diagnosis
Fasting
Hemoglobin A
Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated*
Humans
Korea*
Liver Cirrhosis
Nutrition Surveys*
Prediabetic State*
Prospective Studies
Renal Insufficiency
ROC Curve
Sensitivity and Specificity
Hemoglobin A

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Receiver operating characteristic curves for performance of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose corresponding to diabetes and prediabetes without diabetic medications, defined by the 2015 American Dental Association criteria among the Korean population by glucose levels. (A) Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of 126 mg/dL. (B) FPG of 100 mg/dL.

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