Serum 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol and glycemic control in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Serum 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (AG) levels, which have been reported to decrease specifically in diabetics, were measured in 102 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The mean of serum AG levels was 7.9 +/- 0.7 micrograms/ml (mean +/- S.E.). It was found a significant negative correlation between serum AG level and HbA1c or fasting blood sugar level. The decrease in serum AG levels inversely correlated with the extent of glycemic control in the patients with NIDDM. Additionally, the changes of serum AG levels negatively correlated with the changes of HbA1c levels during long-term (2 years) treatment. Furthermore, serum AG levels were compared between the patients with and without diabetic complication such as retinopathy, proteinuria or neuropathy. It was found that each group of the patients with complication had significantly decreased serum AG level compared with the complication free group. On the other hand, however, no differences were found in serum AG levels corrected by HbA1c levels using the linear regression formula between the group of the patients with and without diabetic complication.