HbAlc--an indicator of diabetic control.

Hemoglobin Alc levels were determined on 16 nondiabetic and 115 diabetic subjects. Twelve of the diabetic patients were newly diagnosed and 12 were in the remission phase. The mean percentage of HbAlc in the nondiabetic subjects was 4.33 +/- 0.39 (SE), in those with long-standing diabetes 8.34 +/- 0.23 SE, in newly diagnosed diabetic patients 8.99 +/- 0.50 SE, and in those undergoing partial remission 5.16 +/- 0.18 SE. The mean HbAlc levels of these four groups differed significantly (0.001 less than P less than 0.025). Among the diabetic subjects there was a good correlation between HbAlc level and such measures as fasting blood sugar, urinary sugar, and degree of diabetic control, whereas the correlations between HbAlc and age, sex, or duration of the disease were not significant. The obtained data show that HbAlc measurement can serve as an objective measure of glucose control in diabetic subjects.