Validity of HbA1c in Diagnosing Diabetes Among People with Sickle Cell Trait in Tanzania

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measures the average of the past three month's glucose concentration and is recommended for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes. However in people with shorter red blood cells life spans like those with sickle cell trait (SCT), the test may underestimate the prevalence of diabetes. There are no data on the extent of this problem in East African region where the prevalence of SCT approaches 22%. OBJECTIVE: To...