Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) monitoring for diabetes diagnosis, management and therapy

Glycated haemoglobin (Hb), particularly the predominant form, HbA1c, has become a primary parameter for diabetes diagnosis and a definite asset in diabetic management, for monitoring the effectiveness of the treatment regimen and the physical or other interventions taken by the diabetic. The HbA1c level over the total Hb is an indicator of the long-term average of blood glucose level in a diabetic. The lowering of HbA1c well below 6.5% and keeping it sustained for a prolonged time directly correlates with effective diabetic management, resulting in positive health outcomes to prevent or delay the onset of harmful and costly diabetic complications. However, the HbA1c test must meet stringent quality assurance, and there are no pathological conditions that preclude its clinical significance. The last decade has witnessed the emergence of several prospective point-of-care (POC) devices for the monitoring of HbA1c. The continuous improvements in POC testing (POCT), mobile healthcare (mH), smart systems and complementary technologies will lead to the next generation of smart POC devices for HbA1c monitoring, another arsenal for combatting diabetes mellitus and its sequelae.