Variability in the Relationship between Mean Plasma Glucose and HbA1c: Implications for the Assessment of Glycemic Control

The relationship between MPG and HbA(1c) is not constant but differs depending on the glycemic control of the population being studied. Having lower mean glucose at the same HbA(1c) may help explain why intensive DCCT treatment appeared intrinsically linked to both increased hypoglycemia and decreased microvascular complications compared with conventional treatment. These findings may also have implications for expressing HbA(1c) as mean blood glucose equivalent.