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HbA1c reliability in patients with diabetes on regular hemodialysis before and after erythropoietin therapy

The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine volume 25, pages 70–74 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) treatment on HbA1c levels in diabetic patients on regular hemodialysis and to assess the reliability of HbA1c as a marker for glycemic control in such patients.

Methods

The study included 41 patients on regular hemodialysis who were EPO naive: 31 with diabetes mellitus and 10 nondiabetic controls. Baseline HBA1c and fasting blood glucose levels were measured and repeated after a 3-month course of EPO.

Results

HbA1c decreased significantly after EPO therapy (P =0.01) and was associated with a significant decline in fasting blood glucose levels (P = 0.001), with a significant negative correlation with hemoglobin (r = −0.185, P =0.03). HbA1c showed significant correlation with fasting blood glucose in diabetic patients before EPO therapy (r =0.82, P < 0.0001). This correlation was found to be independent of other laboratory parameters. No correlation was found between HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels after 3 months of EPO treatment.

Conclusion

HbA1c is not a reliable marker for glycemic control in hemodialysis patients, especially for those on EPO therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 11451, Cairo, Egypt

    Mohamed M. Abdel-Aziz (MD), Inas F. Shaltout & Ula M. Al-Jarhi

  2. Department of Chemical Pathology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Yasmine T. Alshewi

  3. Department of Eltalaba Hospital, Cairo, Egypt

    Mahmoud M. Elalfy

Authors
  1. Mohamed M. Abdel-Aziz
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  2. Inas F. Shaltout
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  3. Ula M. Al-Jarhi
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  4. Yasmine T. Alshewi
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  5. Mahmoud M. Elalfy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed M. Abdel-Aziz.

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Abdel-Aziz, M.M., Shaltout, I.F., Al-Jarhi, U.M. et al. HbA1c reliability in patients with diabetes on regular hemodialysis before and after erythropoietin therapy. Egypt J Intern Med 25, 70–74 (2013). https://doi.org/10.7123/01.EJIM.0000428094.08737.05

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7123/01.EJIM.0000428094.08737.05

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