Nearly 6 million Americans with diabetes and more than 40 million with pre-diabetes who would test positive on an oral glucose test could be missed if they use a proposed "A1c" blood test instead, a new Emory University study found.


In addition, A1c readings differed based on race. African-Americans who took the test tended to be over-diagnosed for the disease, because they showed higher hemoglobin A1c levels than whites.


A study published in Diabetes Care compared test results for about 5,000 people who hadn't yet been diagnosed with the disease. The comparisons were made between the standard oral glucose tolerance test and the proposed test that measures hemoglobin A1c. The oral test requires fasting and a longer wait for results. The A1c test is a simple blood test that has had success helping diabetes patients track their sugar levels and has been proposed for screening as well.


Glen Cove Hospital, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, was the first New York hospital to be certified for Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Management by the Joint Commission, a national accreditation organization. The certification is based on initiatives to enhance care for hospitalized patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes, and to educate patients on self management of the disease.