Does ethanol intake interfere with the evaluation of glycated hemoglobins?

Ethanol and/or its metabolites interfere with the chromatographic assay of glycated hemoglobins. Fasting plasma glucose, blood ethanol, HbA(1), HbA(1c), HbA(1a+b), MCV and GGT were determined in 22 control subjects; 22 alcoholics, 22 diabetic patients and 22 alcoholic diabetic patients. Fasting plasma glucose and all hemoglobin fractions were lower in alcoholic subjects and, except for HbA(1a+b), higher in diabetic patients and in alcoholic diabetic patients. HbA(1), and HbA(1c) correlated well with plasma glucose but not with blood ethanol, MCV and GGT. Glycated hemoglobin was not found to be a useful marker for alcohol abuse. With the chromatographic method we used, the evaluation of glycated hemoglobin fractions, chiefly HbA(1c), confirms its usefulness in monitoring the metabolic control of diabetic subjects, even in case of ethanol abuse.