Novel biomarkers can indicate diabetes risk independently of glucose levels

An individuals’ risk of developing diabetes mellitus could be determined by measuring levels of fructosamine, glycated albumin and 1.5-anhydroglucitol, according to experts from the John Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland.
Dr Elizabeth Selvin and colleagues said these non-traditional glycemic biomarkers could help diagnose diabetes independently of fasting glucose and HbA1c measures.
For their research, Dr Selvin and her team measured levels of the biomarkers in 1,299 people enrolled in an atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) risk study. Of those, 119 developed diabetes over a three year period.
After comparing participants with the highest levels of fructosamine and glycated albumin with those who had the lowest levels, they found that high levels of both these biomarkers were associated with a five-fold greater risk of developing diabetes.
However those with the highest levels of 1,5-anhydroglucitol were four time less likely to become diabetic .
The results remained the same even after adjusting for baseline HbA1c and fasting glucose levels, which according to the researchers suggests “that these alternative markers of hyperglycaemia may contribute independent information regarding diabetes risk”.
They also said both fructosamine and glycated albumin “provided additional prognostic information regarding diabetes risk above and beyond baseline HbA1c.
“Our results suggest that elevations in these measures of short-term hyperglycemia may be useful indicators of a future diabetes risk, independently of single baseline fasting glucose and HbA1c measurements in persons without a previous diagnosis of diabetes,” Dr Selvin and her team concluded.