A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON THE ACCURACY OF GLYCATED ALBUMIN IN DIAGNOSING PREGNANCIES COMPLICATED WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

Introduction: An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has historically been used to identify gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a frequent pregnancy problem. But the OGTT has drawbacks, namely the need for fasting. Glycated albumin (GA) has become a viable non-fasting substitute for the diagnosis of GDM. The purpose of this research was to evaluate how well GA could diagnose pregnancies complicated by GDM.

Methodology: At the Department of Gynae and Obs, DHQ Hospital, KDA Kohat, Pakistan, this cross-sectional research was carried out between August 2023 and July 2024. 134 expectant mothers with gestations ranging from 24 to 28 weeks were included in the study. Every participant had their GA levels tested, and the GDM diagnosis was verified by utilizing the OGTT as the gold standard. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, sensitivity, and specificity were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of GA. Information on unfavorable pregnancy outcomes was also gathered.

Results: Women with GDM had a mean GA level that was substantially higher (16.9% ± 2.1%) than non-GDM participants (13.4% ± 1.9%) (p< 0.001). GA had a 0.87 area under the curve (AUC), which indicates high diagnostic accuracy. GA demonstrated 82.9% sensitivity, 84.5% specificity, and 83.7% total diagnostic accuracy at a cut-off value of 15.2%. Antenatal outcomes that are unfavorable were also linked to elevated GA levels.

Conclusion: GA showed excellent diagnostic accuracy for GDM and might replace OGTT without requiring fasting. To verify these results in broader populations, further research is required.