Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How anemia affects glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in dogs
By Oikonomidis, Ioannis L et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2021·Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of anaemia and erythrocyte indices on canine glycated haemoglobin.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with anemia, especially those with regenerative anemia, had lower levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) compared to healthy dogs. HbA1c is a marker that can indicate blood sugar levels, and the research showed that the lifespan of red blood cells affects these levels. In dogs with anemia, the body’s red blood cells are turning over more quickly, which can lead to lower HbA1c readings. This information is important for understanding how anemia can influence blood sugar assessments in dogs.
People also search for: dog anemia symptoms · low HbA1c in dogs · how does anemia affect blood sugar in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The major fraction of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) depends on blood glucose concentration and erythrocyte lifespan, and consequently erythrocyte indices may affect HbA1c; our objective was to study this effect in dogs. METHODS: Blood samples from two (healthy and anaemic) age- and sex-matched, normoglycaemic populations were prospectively included. Advia 120 and Capillarys 2 flex-piercing were used for the haematological and HbA1c analyses, respectively. RESULTS: Lower mean HbA1c was found in dogs with regenerative (n = 8, 0.88 ± 0.58%) and non-regenerative anaemia (n = 12, 1.36 ± 0.56%) compared to healthy ones (n = 40, 1.68 ± 0.48%); the difference was significant (p < 0.001) between the healthy dogs and those with regenerative anaemia. HbA1c was significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with red blood cell count (r = 0.506), haemoglobin (r = 0.474), haematocrit (r = 0.467), mean corpuscular volume (r = -0.289), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (r = 0.284), red cell distribution width (r = -0.286) and reticulocytes (r= -0.542). CONCLUSION: Anaemia, particularly if regenerative, can lower HbA1c. The significant correlation between HbA1c and erythrocyte indices likely reflects the effect of erythrocyte turnover on HbA1c.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33899962/