Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) variability may play an important role in guiding blood glucose control targets in diabetic patients and help predict the progression of adverse renal events or diabetic retinopathy (DR), a Chinese study found.
Using online databases, researchers analysed 45 long-term studies, including 172,111 participants from multiple regions. Of these studies, 22 looked at the association between HbA1c variability and adverse renal events, eight looked at its association with DR and 15 included both outcomes.
They found that in patients with type 1 diabetes, greater variation in HbA1c levels over time was linked to a higher risk of DR. One measure, coefficient of variation (how much HbA1c fluctuates relative to the average), was associated with a 15% higher risk. HbA1c standard deviation (how widely HbA1c values fluctuate) was also strongly linked to increased risk.
