Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To study HbA1c as a tool for diagnosing diabetes and to study HbA1c as a cardiovascular risk marker in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: A retrospective observational study at an academic tertiary-care medical center. In total, 208 premenopausal women with PCOS participated. Patients underwent clinical evaluation (Ferriman–Gallwey score, body mass index, waist, blood pressure), hormone analyses (testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, fasting lipids, insulin, glucose, HbA1c), transvaginal ultrasound, and 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) measuring capillary blood glucose (BG) at 0 (BG 0) and 120 (BG 120) min, insulin, and C-peptide.

Results: In total, 20 patients were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during OGTT. The sensitivity and specificity of HbA1c≥6.5% for the diagnosis of diabetes were 35 and 99%, respectively, compared with the diagnosis established by OGTT. HbA1c showed closer correlation with waist, body mass index, and lipid profile than BG 120, suggesting that HbA1c could be a cardiovascular risk marker.

Conclusion: The clinical utility of HbA1c for diagnosing impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes in PCOS in daily practice is low. Long-term prospective studies are needed to determine whether HbA1c is superior to glucose levels as a cardiovascular risk marker in patients with PCOS.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.