To What Extent Is HbA1c Associated with Glycemic Variability in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes? A Retrospective, Noninterventional Study

Abstract

Background: Glycemic variability (GV) is a novel parameter used in evaluating the quality of diabetes management. Current guidelines recommend the use of GV indexes alongside the traditional parameter to evaluate glycemic control: hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). This study aims to evaluate the extent to which HbA1c explains the GV phenomena in patients with Type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Methods: In 147 patients with T1DM, associations between HbA1c and several GV indexes were analyzed. Results: Patients with an HbA1c < 7% had a lower median standard deviation of glycemia (60 vs. 48; p < 0.001), a lower coefficient of variation (34.1 vs. 38.0; p < 0.001), and a significantly increased median time in range (78 vs. 58; p < 0.001). HbA1c was positively correlated with the coefficient of variation (r = 0.349; p < 0.001) and the standard deviation (r = 0.656; p < 0.001) but reversely correlated with a lower time in range (r = −0.637; p < 0.001). Conclusions: HbA1c only partially explains the GV phenomena in patients with T1DM. The HbA1c value is associated more strongly with the time in range and standard deviation than with the coefficient of variation.