Glycated Hemoglobin As An Option In Screening For Metabolic Syndrome

Introduction: The incidence and thus the relevance of metabolic syndrome have been increasing in parallel with the prevalence of obesity. Metabolic syndrome can be diagnosed using various criteria systems. Objective: This research was designed to establish the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among patients at moderate or high risk for diabetes mellitus in the population of a disadvantaged Hungarian municipality. The secondary objective of the study was the examination of the suitability of glycated hemoglobin as a screening tool for metabolic syndrome. Method: Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was established using the International Diabetes Federation criteria system based on the measurement of blood pressure and abdominal circumference as well as values using venous blood samples. Lipid parameters and glycated hemoglobin levels were measured from serum as well. The fasting and two hours post-load blood glucose were measured from plasma. The validity of the laboratory diagnostic methods were determined with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: 71.62% of the 74 tested patients were confirmed to have metabolic syndrome (n = 53). The optimal cut-off point was 5.65% (38.3 mmol/mol) glycated hemoglobin value with 69.8% sensitivity and 77.3% specificity (p<0.001). The positive predictive value of the method was 69.8%, while the negative predictive value was 81.8% (p<0.001). For fasting glucose levels, the optimal cut-off point was the 5.65 mmol/L blood glucose level. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among individuals at elevated or high risk for diabetes was significantly higher compared to the total population, based on published data from similar earlier studies. Based on our analyses, glycated hemoglobin - used as a complementary parameter to fasting glucose level - is suitable for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.