Of the analytes used to diagnose and manage patients with diabetes, several “have minimal clinical value” and should not be used, according to a consensus report and executive summary from 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 (ADA).
“This guideline focuses primarily on the laboratory aspects of testing in diabetes,” the authors write. “It does not deal with any issues related to the clinical management of diabetes which are already covered in the ADA guidelines. This guideline intends to supplement the ADA guidelines in order to avoid duplication or repetition of information. Therefore, it focuses on practical aspects of care to assist decisions related to the use or interpretation of laboratory tests while screening, diagnosing, or monitoring diabetes.”
In addition to glucose and common diabetes markers, the executive summary discusses tests for genetic markers, autoimmune markers, urine albumin, and potentially important analytes such as blood insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, and insulin antibodies.