Differences in Red Blood Cell Indices Do Not Explain Racial Disparity in Hemoglobin A1c in Children with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

We assessed the association of erythrocyte indices on mean blood glucose-independent racial disparity in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in youth with type 1 diabetes. Blacks still had higher HbA1c after adjustment for mean blood glucose, red blood cell indices, age, and sex. Such differences need to be taken into account when interpreting HbA1c in Black patients.

Keywords: biological variation; lab interpretation; mean blood glucose.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Figures

Figure

The relationship of HbA1c with MBG by race in youth with T1D. Black dots and unbroken regression line represent Black patients. Open circles and broken regression line represent White patients. Blacks have a higher HbA1c than Whites at similar levels of MBG. HbA1c (%) and MBG in mg/dL. Both MBG (P < .0001) and race (P = .003) have statistically significant independent influence on HbA1c when also adjusted for the influence of age and RDW-CV.