A common blood test to diagnose diabetes may mislead doctors and patients across India when viewed alone, a new medical review has suggested, with implications for both individual diagnosis and national estimates of diabetes. ADVERTISEMENTTo avoid misdiagnosis, the panel has recommended measuring fasting and post-meal blood glucose in addition to HbA1c, particularly in populations with widespread red blood cell disorders. HbA1c is glycated haemoglobin, not a direct blood sugar test, but it reflects how much sugar is bound to haemoglobin in the red blood cells. HbA1c may be used to support a diagnosis, but should not be relied on alone, particularly in populations with red blood cell disorders. When the study used blood glucose levels, diabetes prevalence was about 110 million, but when HbA1c was applied, the estimate rose to about 200 million.

Source: The Telegraph February 09, 2026 02:14 UTC