The Stricter the Better? The Relationship between Targeted HbA(1c) Values and Metabolic Control of Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction. It remains unclear how HbA(1c) recommendations influence metabolic control of paediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. To evaluate this we compared reported HbA(1c) with guideline thresholds. Materials and Methods. We searched systematically MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies reporting on HbA(1c) in children with T1DM and grouped them according to targeted HbA(1c) obtained from regional guidelines. We assessed the discrepancies in the metabolic control between these groups by comparing mean HbA(1c) extracted from each study and the differences between actual and targeted HbA(1c). Results. We included 105 from 1365 searched studies. The median (IQR) HbA(1c) for the study population was 8.30% (8.00%–8.70%) and was lower in “6.5%” than in “7.5%” as targeted HbA(1c) level (8.20% (7.85%–8.57%) versus 8.40% (8.20%–8.80%); p = 0.028). Median difference between actual and targeted HbA(1c) was 1.20% (0.80%–1.70%) and was higher in “6.5%” than in “7.5%” (1.70% (1.30%–2.07%) versus 0.90% (0.70%–1.30%), resp.; p < 0.001). Conclusions. Our study indicates that the 7.5% threshold results in HbA(1c) levels being closer to the therapeutic goal, but the actual values are still higher than those observed in the “6.5%” group. A meta-analysis of raw data from national registries or a prospective study comparing both approaches is warranted as the next step to examine this subject further.