Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c). Usefulness and limitations in patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes (DM2) is one of the greatest public health problems in the world and one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Glycemia is a laboratory parameter that is easy to evaluate and plays a fundamental role both in the diagnosis of DM and in its follow-up. The identification of glycated proteins, especially hemoglobin (HbA1c) and serum proteins (fructosamine), makes it possible to quantify their average over weeks or months, which complements glucose monitoring. The methods implemented to achieve glycemic control in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are extrapolated from studies on DM without CKD, due to the lack of evidence from high quality randomized studies in this population. It should be considered that in CKD there are metabolic changes determining that hemoglobin (Hb) shows variable behaviors; this is why it is discussed whether HbA1c constitutes a reliable marker to define glycemic control or whether it is useful to predict the development of complications in this subpopulation. A review of the role of HbA1c in DM patients without CKD is presented, showing also the difficulties that arise in the subpopulation with CKD, especially among patients undergoing hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Keywords

• hemoglobina glicada
• HbA1c
• enfermedad renal crónica
• diabetes
• control glucémico
• diálisis renal