Glycated haemoglobin highly reliable for identifying prediabetes in PCOS

HbA1c values show accuracy in diagnosing prediabetes among young women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) relative to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), as shown in a study.

The study included 154 women between 20 and 40 years of age who had received a diagnosis of PCOS. All of them were screened for prediabetes and diabetes using the OGTT and HbA1c. None of the women had hyperprolactinemia, thyroid or adrenal diseases, anaemia, and exposure to hormonal contraceptives or corticosteroids.

Researchers collected clinical, biochemical, and ultrasound data from the electronic medical records. Based on the diagnostic tests, the women were grouped as follows: normal glucose metabolism, prediabetes, or diabetes.

According to the HbA1c and OGTT values, 76.0 percent and 79.2 percent of the women were within the normal glucose range, 19.5 percent and 16.8 percent had prediabetes, and 4.5 percent and 4.0 percent had diabetes (p>0.05) , respectively. There was a moderate level of agreement between the two methods, as indicated by the Kappa coefficient of 0.41 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.24–0.58).

Considering the OGTT as the gold standard, HbA1c had a specificity of 89.5 percent and sensitivity of 85.7 percent in the diagnosis of prediabetes, and 100 percent and 66.7 percent, respectively, in the diagnosis of diabetes.