Change of HbA1c reporting to the new SI units

Authors: Graham R D Jones, George Barker, Ian Goodall, Hans-Gerhard Schneider, Mark D S Shephard and Stephen M Twigg

Med J Aust 2011; 195 (9): 514-515. || doi: 10.5694/mja11.11131
Published online: 7 November 2011

In reply: We appreciate Craig and colleagues’ comments regarding the importance of reporting general HbA1c targets for children and adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In our position statement, the headings of Box 2 and Box 3 indicated that the targets listed were for adults with type 1 diabetes and adults with type 2 diabetes, respectively.1 While it is not possible to highlight every clinical situation, we agree that providing general HbA1c targets for children and adolescents will add value to our article, and we have updated it accordingly,1 recognising the differences in these targets for type 1 diabetes (≤ 58 mmol/mol, ≤ 7.5%) and type 2 diabetes (≤ 53 mmol/mol, ≤ 7.0%).2-4 In the interests of uniformity and simplicity, the paediatric targets expressed as “<”2-4 have been adjusted to “≤”, which represents differences of less than 1.5% of the target values.

Addendum p 524

Correspondence: gjones@stvincents.com.au

Jones GRD, Barker G, Goodall I, et al. Change of HbA1c reporting to the new SI units [position statement]. Med J Aust 2011; 195: 45-46. CBBEGCBH
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Rewers M, Pihoker C, Donaghue K, et al. Assessment and monitoring of glycemic control in children and adolescents with diabetes. Pediatr Diabetes 2009; 10 Suppl 12: 71-81. 3
Rosenbloom AL, Silverstein JH, Amemiya S, et al. Type 2 diabetes in the child and adolescent. Pediatr Diabetes 2009; 10 Suppl 12: 17-32. CBBIAIBC