Research

Adherence

HbA1c is a valid diagnostic criterion for diabetes (≥6.5%) in Korea, but it should not be used alone due to lower detection rates compared to combined FPG and OGTT.

HbA1c is a convenient test that doesn't require fasting, but it might miss diabetes if used alone. For the most accurate diagnosis, especially if you have conditions like anemia or kidney disease, combine it with fasting glucose or an OGTT.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
a HbA1c level ≥6.5% is appropriate as a diagnostic criterion for diabetes in Korea... when using HbA1c alone, the diabetes detection rate was only 30% of that achieved when combining fasting and 2-h PG after an oral glucose load
Shinae Kang et al. · Diabetes & Metabolism Journal · 2025

Why this rating

Based on studies comparing detection rates.

Source

2025 Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diabetes Management in Korea: Recommendation of the Korean Diabetes Association

Shinae Kang et al. · Diabetes & Metabolism Journal · 2025

DOI 10.4093/dmj.2025.0469

clinical_guidelineCited 19×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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