Brief Article
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World J Diabetes. Jun 15, 2013; 4(3): 76-81
Published online Jun 15, 2013. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v4.i3.76
Hemoglobin A1c in early postpartum screening of women with gestational diabetes
Mahesh V Katreddy, Joseph M Pappachan, Sarah E Taylor, Alan M Nevill, Radha Indusekhar, Ananth U Nayak
Mahesh V Katreddy, Joseph M Pappachan, Sarah E Taylor, Radha Indusekhar, Ananth U Nayak, the combined Antenatal Diabetes Clinic, University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust, Stoke on Trent ST4 6QG, United Kingdom
Joseph M Pappachan, Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 6QG, United Kingdom
Alan M Nevill, Research Institute in Health Care Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Katreddy MV and Nayak AU researched the data; Katreddy MV and Nayak AU did the statistical analysis supported by Pappachan JM and Nevill AM; Katreddy MV, Pappachan JM and Nayak AU wrote the draft and all other authors commented on the draft and approved the final version; Nayak AU is the guarantor of this work and, as such, had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis; all authors participated in data interpretation.
Correspondence to: Dr. Joseph M Pappachan, MD, MRCP, Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust, Princes Road, Stoke on Trent ST4 6QG, United Kingdom. drpappachan@yahoo.co.in
Telephone: +44-1782-715444 Fax: +44-1782-674650
Received: February 22, 2012
Revised: March 26, 2013
Accepted: May 16, 2013
Published online: June 15, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) though accepted as a screening tool for diagnosis of diabetes by professional bodies, its role in early postnatal screening of women with gestational diabetes mellitus is not known, which is explored in this study. Analysing the results of simultaneous oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and HbA1c estimations undertaken as a part of postpartum screening at 6 wk, we note that HbA1c has a high negative predictive value and can help in excluding diabetes (but not impaired glycaemia). We thus propose that HbA1c could potentially be used with fasting blood glucose estimation to avoid OGTT in those women with an HbA1c < 44 mmol/mol.