http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-08/bidm-rdi080612.php
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center study analyzes hemoglobin A1C levels in blacks, whites
"There have been several studies indicating that hemoglobin A1C levels are consistently higher in blacks than in whites, even though underlying blood sugar levels are similar," said lead author Yusuke Tsugawa, MD, MPH, a primary care fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "We looked at the data to determine if a higher diagnostic cutoff of A1C level should be used to diagnose diabetes in blacks than in whites, or if there should be a single cutoff for all races."
"Our study results show that the risk of diabetic retinopathy is higher for blacks at any given hemoglobin A1C level between 5 percent and 7 percent, and that the higher risk at a hemoglobin A1C level of 5.5 to 5.9 percent for blacks was comparable to the risk at a hemoglobin A1C level of 6.0 to 6.4 percent for whites," said Tsugawa. "This indicates that black people may be more vulnerable to high A1C status than whites."
Further research may bear out the team's hunch that the guidelines may serve those at risk for diabetes better if the diagnostic threshold were lowered for blacks compared to whites.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center study analyzes hemoglobin A1C levels in blacks, whites
"There have been several studies indicating that hemoglobin A1C levels are consistently higher in blacks than in whites, even though underlying blood sugar levels are similar," said lead author Yusuke Tsugawa, MD, MPH, a primary care fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "We looked at the data to determine if a higher diagnostic cutoff of A1C level should be used to diagnose diabetes in blacks than in whites, or if there should be a single cutoff for all races."
"Our study results show that the risk of diabetic retinopathy is higher for blacks at any given hemoglobin A1C level between 5 percent and 7 percent, and that the higher risk at a hemoglobin A1C level of 5.5 to 5.9 percent for blacks was comparable to the risk at a hemoglobin A1C level of 6.0 to 6.4 percent for whites," said Tsugawa. "This indicates that black people may be more vulnerable to high A1C status than whites."
Further research may bear out the team's hunch that the guidelines may serve those at risk for diabetes better if the diagnostic threshold were lowered for blacks compared to whites.