The standard blood test used to monitor diabetes patients could have the potential to identify millions of diabetes sufferers who remain undiagnosed, researchers claim.
A team of physicians at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that the hemoglobin A1c test (HbA1c) may be able to improve widespread screening of diabetes.
Dr Christopher Saudek, professor of endocrinology and metabolism at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Diabetes Center, explained: "The test is a measure of long-term glucose control, but doctors don’t typically use it to screen for or diagnose the disease.
"There’s reason to believe it could help identify many of the estimated six million people in the US who have diabetes but don’t know it."
According to Dr Saudek and his colleagues, as the test does not require fasting and isn’t affected by changes in diet or exercise, the HbA1c offers significant advantages over current methods.
The findings are published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
