Waqar Azim, Maria Mushtaq Gill, Saad Azim, Wajiha Farooq.
Assessment of fasting and two-hour post-prandial glucose as an economical test for monitoring of glycemic control, compared to glycated haemoglobin.
Med Channel Jan ;17(2):5-7.

Objectives: To find a correlation of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-hrs post-prandial glucose (PPG) with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), so that an economical test could be selected for the monitoring of glycemic control in diabetic patients. Study design: Cross-sectional and descriptive. Methods : This study was conducted in the department of Pathology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi, National University of Sciences and Technology Islamabad, Pakistan, from May 2010 to August 2010. Seventy one known diabetic patients were included in the study. Two blood samples were collected after an 8-12 hours fast from all the patients. One for the estimation of HbA1c by ion-exchange resin method and the other for the estimation of FPG. The patients were then advised to take their routine breakfast and two hours after breakfast, another blood sample was collected for the estimation of the PPG. The FPG and PPG were estimated by Glucose oxidase method. Quality control check was maintained during all the tests. Results: Out of total 71 known diabetics included, 35% were females and 65% were males. There was a stronger correlation of HbA1c with PPG (r-value 0.436 and p-value= <0.001) as compared to its correlation with FPG (r-value=0.284 and p-value=0.016). On comparing both the genders, the correlation of HbA1c with PPG was better in males as compared to females. Conclusion: PPG has a stronger correlation with HbA1c as compared to the FPG so a strict monitoring and control of PPG can help the clinicians have an economical alternative test, compared to HbA1c for glycemic control of their uncomplicated diabetic patients.

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