Guidelines and Recommendations for Laboratory Analysis in the Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus
- PMID: 37471273
- PMCID: PMC10516260
- DOI: 10.2337/dci23-0036
Guidelines and Recommendations for Laboratory Analysis in the Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus
Abstract
Background: Numerous laboratory tests are used in the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus. The quality of the scientific evidence supporting the use of these assays varies substantially.
Approach: An expert committee compiled evidence-based recommendations for laboratory analysis in screening, diagnosis, or monitoring of diabetes. The overall quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations were evaluated. The draft consensus recommendations were evaluated by invited reviewers and presented for public comment. Suggestions were incorporated as deemed appropriate by the authors (see Acknowledgments). The guidelines were reviewed by the Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine Committee and the Board of Directors of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry and by the Professional Practice Committee of the American Diabetes Association.
Content: Diabetes can be diagnosed by demonstrating increased concentrations of glucose in venous plasma or increased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in the blood. Glycemic control is monitored by the people with diabetes measuring their own blood glucose with meters and/or with continuous interstitial glucose monitoring (CGM) devices and also by laboratory analysis of HbA1c. The potential roles of noninvasive glucose monitoring, genetic testing, and measurement of ketones, autoantibodies, urine albumin, insulin, proinsulin, and C-peptide are addressed.
Summary: The guidelines provide specific recommendations based on published data or derived from expert consensus. Several analytes are found to have minimal clinical value at the present time, and measurement of them is not recommended.
© 2023 by the American Diabetes Association.
Conflict of interest statement
Figures

Comment in
-
Do not report estimated average glucose (eAG) from HbA1c: Evidence is emerging.Clin Biochem. 2023 Nov;121-122:110677. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2023.110677. Epub 2023 Oct 20. Clin Biochem. 2023. PMID: 37866697 No abstract available.
References
-
- American Diabetes Association . Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 2014;37(Suppl. 1):S81–S90 - PubMed
-
- American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee . 2. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2022. Diabetes Care 2021;45(Suppl 1):S17–S38 - PubMed
-
- Castaño L, Eisenbarth GS. Type-I diabetes: a chronic autoimmune disease of human, mouse, and rat. Annu Rev Immunol 1990;8:647–679 - PubMed
-
- Reaven GM. Banting lecture 1988. Role of insulin resistance in human disease. Diabetes 1988;37:1595–1607 - PubMed
-
- Sacks DB, McDonald JM. The pathogenesis of type II diabetes mellitus. A polygenic disease. Am J Clin Pathol 1996;105:149–156 - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Associated data
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical