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Therapeutics/Prevention
Observational study
Many US adults with controlled type 2 diabetes receive frequent HbA1c testing and possible overtreatment
  1. Neda Laiteerapong
  1. Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
  1. Correspondence to : Dr Neda Laiteerapong, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC 2007B, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; nlaiteer{at}medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebmed-2016-110414

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    Commentary on: McCoy RG, Van Houten HK, Ross JS, et al. HbA1c overtesting and overtreatment among US adults with controlled type 2 diabetes, 2001–13: observational population based study. BMJ 2015;351:h6138.

    Context

    Recent clinical guidelines have emphasised that patients with type 2 diabetes should have glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) goals that are tailored to their individual clinical characteristics. Guidelines also recommend that patients with stable glycaemic control who are meeting their glycaemic goals and have no complications of glucose lowering should have less frequent HbA1c testing. The HbA1c reflects the average glucose over about 3 months and thus, at most, the HbA1c should be measured every 3 months. This epidemiologic study examines how frequently HbA1c levels are being tested in patients with type 2 diabetes and the potential clinical implications.

    Methods

    This was a retrospective epidemiological study of national administrative claims data from commercially insured …

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors NL drafted, revised, and edited the manuscript. No other persons contributed to this manuscript.

    • Funding National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K23DK097283).

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.