AIMS: Research into early life and childhood determinants of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes are complicated by requirements for fasting blood samples and glucose tolerance tests. We investigated haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), a marker of glycaemia measured in non-fasting blood, as an alternative. METHODS: HbA(1c) was measured in 1645 children aged 9-11 years without diabetes from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Thirty-nine children had two HbA(1c) measurements. Data on parental, child and potential confounding factors were collected prospectively from questionnaires, medical records and direct examination. Data from a shortened 30-min oral glucose tolerance test were available for 431 children at age 8 years. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Mean (sd) HbA(1c) was 4.91(0.29)%. HbA(1c) increased with age and was higher in boys compared with girls, non-white compared with white children, and in children with anaemia. Mean difference between repeated HbA(1c) measurements was 0.01%. HbA(1c) was weakly positively associated with fasting glucose (beta = 0.066%/mmol/l, P = 0.05), but was not associated with 30-min glucose, fasting or 30-min insulin, or homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance. HbA(1c) was weakly inversely associated with weight sd score (beta =-0.02%/unit, P = 0.004), body mass index sd score (beta = -0.02%/unit, P = 0.002), and total body fat (beta = -0.003%/kg, P = 0.06) and lean mass (beta = -0.011%/kg, P = 0.01), but was not associated with birthweight or breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS: HbA(1c) is not a good marker of fasting or post-load glucose and insulin measures in healthy children, and is not a viable alternative to these measures for investigating the determinants of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes in children.
AIMS: Research into early life and childhood determinants of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes are complicated by requirements for fasting blood samples and glucose tolerance tests. We investigated haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), a marker of glycaemia measured in non-fasting blood, as an alternative. METHODS: HbA(1c) was measured in 1645 children aged 9-11 years without diabetes from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Thirty-nine children had two HbA(1c) measurements. Data on parental, child and potential confounding factors were collected prospectively from questionnaires, medical records and direct examination. Data from a shortened 30-min oral glucose tolerance test were available for 431 children at age 8 years. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Mean (sd) HbA(1c) was 4.91(0.29)%. HbA(1c) increased with age and was higher in boys compared with girls, non-white compared with white children, and in children with anaemia. Mean difference between repeated HbA(1c) measurements was 0.01%. HbA(1c) was weakly positively associated with fasting glucose (beta = 0.066%/mmol/l, P = 0.05), but was not associated with 30-min glucose, fasting or 30-min insulin, or homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance. HbA(1c) was weakly inversely associated with weight sd score (beta =-0.02%/unit, P = 0.004), body mass index sd score (beta = -0.02%/unit, P = 0.002), and total body fat (beta = -0.003%/kg, P = 0.06) and lean mass (beta = -0.011%/kg, P = 0.01), but was not associated with birthweight or breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS: HbA(1c) is not a good marker of fasting or post-load glucose and insulin measures in healthy children, and is not a viable alternative to these measures for investigating the determinants of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes in children.
Authors: Darcy Güngör; Perrine Nadaud; Concetta C LaPergola; Carol Dreibelbis; Yat Ping Wong; Nancy Terry; Steve A Abrams; Leila Beker; Tova Jacobovits; Kirsi M Järvinen; Laurie A Nommsen-Rivers; Kimberly O O'Brien; Emily Oken; Rafael Pérez-Escamilla; Ekhard E Ziegler; Joanne M Spahn Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2019-03-01 Impact factor: 7.045
Authors: Hanneke Jansen; Alet H Wijga; Salome Scholtens; Gerard H Koppelman; Dirkje S Postma; Bert Brunekreef; Johan C de Jongste; Henriëtte A Smit; Ronald P Stolk Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-04-13 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Carolina Bonilla; Debbie A Lawlor; Yoav Ben-Shlomo; Andrew R Ness; David Gunnell; Susan M Ring; George Davey Smith; Sarah J Lewis Journal: BMC Med Genet Date: 2012-09-27 Impact factor: 2.103