Newer Blood Test Predicts Diabetes, Heart Disease

By Serena Gordon, US News & World Report

A1C outperforms fasting glucose in predicting heart disease and stroke risk, study finds.

The newer hemoglobin A1C test predicts diabetes as well as the traditional fasting blood sugar test, but it beats that old standard in predicting a patient's future risk of heart disease and stroke, new research shows.

After adjusting for common cardiovascular disease risk factors, the study found that while A1C levels high enough to diagnose diabetes were associated with nearly twice the risk of coronary heart disease, no such association was found with fasting glucose readings high enough to trigger a diabetes diagnosis.

Complete Story >> http://www.usnews.com/health/diet-fitness/diabetes/articles/2010/03/03/newer-blood-test-predicts-diabetes-heart-disease.html