Why HbA1c Can Lie in Thalassemia Kids
Estimation of HbA1c Levels in Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia Patients in Comparison With Normal Healthy Individuals
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Despite 85.7% of TDT patients having 'diabetic' HbA1c levels, 74.3% had normal fasting glucose.
This contradicts the widespread assumption that HbA1c reliably reflects average blood sugar in all populations—even doctors often treat high A1C as proof of diabetes without checking glucose directly.
Practical Takeaways
If you or a loved one has thalassemia or another hemoglobinopathy, insist on fasting glucose or continuous glucose monitoring instead of relying on HbA1c for diabetes screening.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Despite 85.7% of TDT patients having 'diabetic' HbA1c levels, 74.3% had normal fasting glucose.
This contradicts the widespread assumption that HbA1c reliably reflects average blood sugar in all populations—even doctors often treat high A1C as proof of diabetes without checking glucose directly.
Practical Takeaways
If you or a loved one has thalassemia or another hemoglobinopathy, insist on fasting glucose or continuous glucose monitoring instead of relying on HbA1c for diabetes screening.
Publication
Journal
Cureus
Year
2024
Authors
Parmanreet Kaur Bhatti, Richa Ghay, Gursharan Singh Narang, Varidhi Thaman, Suneet Narang
Related Content
Claims (6)
If your red blood cells live longer or shorter than average, your A1C test might not give a true picture of your average blood sugar levels.
People with a serious blood disorder called thalassemia who need regular blood transfusions have about the same fasting blood sugar as healthy people, even though their long-term blood sugar marker (HbA1c) is high.
In people with a blood disorder called thalassemia who need regular blood transfusions, their long-term blood sugar marker (HbA1c) goes up when their daily fasting sugar goes up — so even though their HbA1c is usually high, it still gives some clue about their blood sugar changes.
People with a blood disorder called thalassemia who need regular blood transfusions often show high blood sugar on HbA1c tests, but their actual blood sugar is normal—so the test might be giving false alarms in these patients.
Older people with a blood condition called thalassemia who need regular blood transfusions tend to have higher HbA1c levels — a number often linked to blood sugar — even if their actual blood sugar isn't high.