The relationship between HbA(1c) and fasting plasma glucose in patients with increased plasma liver enzyme measurements

Background: HbA(1c) is currently being introduced for diagnostic purpose in diabetes. Previous studies have, however, indicated that patients with liver disease have false low HbA(1c) levels. We therefore investigated the correlation between HbA(1c) and plasma glucose in patients with different levels of increased liver enzyme concentrations. Methods: Data from 10 065 patients with simultaneous measurement of HbA(1c) , venous fasting plasma glucose, alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transferase were extracted from our laboratory database. Correlations were investigated in four patient groups divided according to their liver enzyme concentrations. Results: The correlation between HbA(1c) and plasma glucose was high in all groups, with r = 0.77 for men and r = 0.78 for women (P