A type of blood test doctors use to diagnose patients with Type 2 diabetes might have a much broader use. Israeli researchers believe it is also a viable tool to help screen for patients who don't have the disease just yet but very likely will.
The U.K.'s Daily Express newspaper reports on the findings, which stem from researchers at Tel Aviv University and elsewhere. The European Journal of General Practice published their work in detail.
To determine a patient's average blood glucose levels over the previous few months, clinicians measure hemoglobin A1c, which binds to glucose. Patients with Type 2 diabetes typically are found to have higher levels of both blood glucose and A1c in their blood.
For the study, researchers examined data from 10,201 patients who were at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes but hadn't yet been diagnosed and factored in a follow-up of between 5 and 8 years. Through that longer time snapshot, they found that higher levels of hemoglobin A1c could be linked to a greater risk of Type 2 diabetes. While further research is needed, the early data offers evidence that an A1c test could help with preventive care. If doctors, for example, can identify a patient whose obesity and diet creates a high risk of Type 2 diabetes, then caregivers can intervene sooner with diet changes and treatments, before the condition develops in full and causes too much damage.
"Our study supports the idea that the A1c test, used to diagnose Type 2 diabetes, can also be used at a much earlier stage to screen for disease in the high-risk population, like overweight patients," study author Nataly Lerner told the Daily Express.
Major companies have focused on updating and improving their hemoglobin A1c tests in recent months. Last August, Roche Diagnostics ($RHHBY) launched its FDA-approved Tina-quant HbA1cDx assay, which is designed to spot the disease and guide treatment options before late complications hit patients. Last May, Abbott Laboratories ($ABT) won a CE mark for a similar HbA1c test, designed to work with its Architect platform, to help chart diabetes progression and manage treatment for patients with the disease or at risk of developing it.