Top

International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries

Published in:

01-12-2017 | Original Article

Seasonal variation of hemoglobin A1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes

Authors: Lulu Hou, Mei Li, Xianping Huang, Lulu Wang, Pei Sun, Rui Shi, Lin Ding, Shuguang Pang

Published in: International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries | Issue 4/2017

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to retrospectively examine the association between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with season variation in patients with type 2 diabetes from the Chinese mainland. Monthly average of HbA1c values of type 2 diabetes patients in Jinan Central Hospital between 2008 and 2011 were respectively reviewed. The effects of sex, age, and season on HbA1c levels were analyzed. Moreover, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed to discuss the correlations between HbA1c levels and sex, age, and season. The HbA1c levels were significantly higher in winter (December, January, and February) and significantly lower in summer (June, July, and August). Significant difference was found for HbA1c between men and women in the elderly group (P < 0.01). The levels of HbA1c were similar in youth and middle groups (P > 0.05), but significantly lower in the elderly group (P < 0.05). Additionally, negative correlations of HbA1c with season, age, and gender were identified (P < 0.01). Our study suggests that cold weather may elevate the levels of HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients in mainland China. However, more detailed studies are needed to reveal the variation of HbA1c with age and gender.

Keech A, Simes R, Barter P, Best J, Scott R, Taskinen M-R, et al. Effects of long-term fenofibrate therapy on cardiovascular events in 9795 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (the FIELD study): randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2005;366(9500):1849–61.CrossRefPubMed

Pradhan AD, Rifai N, Buring JE, Ridker PM. Hemoglobin A1c predicts diabetes but not cardiovascular disease in nondiabetic women. Am J Med. 2007;120(8):720–7.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Nathan DM, Buse JB, Davidson MB, Ferrannini E, Holman RR, Sherwin R, et al. Medical management of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes: a consensus algorithm for the initiation and adjustment of therapy a consensus statement of the American diabetes association and the European association for the study of diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32(1):193–203.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Carney T, Guy S, Helliwell C. Seasonal variation in HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabet Med. 2000;17(7):554–5.CrossRefPubMed

Sakura H, Tanaka Y, Iwamoto Y. Seasonal fluctuations of glycated hemoglobin levels in Japanese diabetic patients. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2010;88(1):65–70.CrossRefPubMed

Sohmiya M, Kanazawa I, Kato Y. Seasonal changes in body composition and blood HbA1c levels without weight change in male patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(5):1238–9.CrossRefPubMed

Tseng C-L, Brimacombe M, Xie M, Rajan M, Wang H, Kolassa J, et al. Seasonal patterns in monthly hemoglobin A1c values. Am J Epidemiol. 2005;161(6):565–74.CrossRefPubMed

Chen H-S, Jap T-S, Chen R-L, Lin H-D. A prospective study of glycemic control during holiday time in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(2):326–30.CrossRefPubMed

Nordfeldt S, Ludvigsson J. Seasonal variation of HbA1c in intensive treatment of children with type 1 diabetes. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2000;13(5):529–36.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Higgins T, Saw S, Sikaris K, Wiley CL, Cembrowski GC, Lyon AW, et al. Seasonal variation in hemoglobin A1c: is it the same in both hemispheres? J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2009;3(4):668–71.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

11.

Tien KJ, Yang CY, Weng SF, Liu SY, Hsieh MC, Chou CW. The impact of ambient temperature on HbA1c in Taiwanese type 2 diabetic patients: the most vulnerable subgroup. J Formos Med Assoc = Taiwan yi zhi. 2015. doi:10.1016/j.jfma.2015.03.010.PubMed

12.

Schnedl W, Krause R, Halwachs-Baumann G, Trinker M, Lipp R, Krejs G. Evaluation of HbA1c determination methods in patients with hemoglobinopathies. Diabetes Care. 2000;23(3):339–44.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Garde AH, Hansen ÅM, Skovgaard LT, Christensen JM. Seasonal and biological variation of blood concentrations of total cholesterol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, hemoglobin A1c, IgA, prolactin, and free testosterone in healthy women. Clin Chem. 2000;46(4):551–9.PubMed

14.

Simon D, Senan C, Garnier P, Saint-Paul M, Papoz L. Epidemiological features of glycated haemoglobin A1c-distribution in a healthy population. Diabetologia. 1989;32(12):864–9.CrossRefPubMed

15.

Ludvigsson J, Afoke A. Seasonality of type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: values of C-peptide, insulin antibodies and haemoglobin A1c show evidence of a more rapid loss of insulin secretion in epidemic patients. Diabetologia. 1989;32(2):84–91.CrossRefPubMed

16.

Mẗtäri M, Javela K, Koskinen P, Pikkarainen J, Manninen V, Huttunen JK, et al. Seasonal variation in high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Atherosclerosis. 1993;100(2):257–65.CrossRef

17.

Gordon DJ, Trost DC, Hyde J, Whaley FS, Hannan P, Jacobs D, et al. Seasonal cholesterol cycles: the lipid research clinics coronary primary prevention trial placebo group. Circulation. 1987;76(6):1224–31.CrossRefPubMed

18.

Van Staveren WA, Deurenberg P, Burema J, De Groot LC, Hautvast J. Seasonal variation in food intake, pattern of physical activity and change in body weight in a group of young adult Dutch women consuming self-selected diets. Int J Obes. 1985;10(2):133–45.

19.

Tokudome Y, Kuriki K, Imaeda N, Ikeda M, Nagaya T, Fujiwara N, et al. Seasonal variation in consumption and plasma concentrations of fatty acids in Japanese female dietitians. Eur J Epidemiol. 2003;18(10):945–53.CrossRefPubMed

20.

Shahar D, Yerushalmi N, Lubin F, Froom P, Shahar A, Kristal-Boneh E. Seasonal variations in dietary intake affect the consistency of dietary assessment. Eur J Epidemiol. 2001;17(2):129–33.CrossRefPubMed

21.

Gikas A, Sotiropoulos A, Pastromas V, Papazafiropoulou A, Apostolou O, Pappas S. Seasonal variation in fasting glucose and HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes. Prim Care Diabetes. 2009;3(2):111–4. doi:10.1016/j.pcd.2009.05.004.CrossRefPubMed

22.

Herbst A, Bachran R, Kapellen T, Holl RW. Effects of regular physical activity on control of glycemia in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160(6):573–7.CrossRefPubMed

23.

Bardini G, Dicembrini I, Rotella CM, Giannini S. Lipids seasonal variability in type 2 diabetes. Metabolism. 2012;61(12):1674–7.CrossRefPubMed

24.

Kim YJ, Park S, Yi W, Yu K-S, Kim TH, Oh TJ, et al. Seasonal variation in hemoglobin A1c in Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Korean Med Sci. 2014;29(4):550–5.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

25.

Norman AW. Sunlight, season, skin pigmentation, vitamin D, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D: integral components of the vitamin D endocrine system. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998;67(6):1108–10.PubMed

26.

Frier B, Yang P, Taylor AW. Diabetes, aging and physical activity. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. 2006;3(2):63–73.CrossRef

27.

Arnetz BB, Kallner A, Theorell T. The influence of aging on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). J Gerontol. 1982;37(6):648–50.CrossRefPubMed

28.

Pani LN, Korenda L, Meigs JB, Driver C, Chamany S, Fox CS, et al. Effect of aging on A1C levels in individuals without diabetes evidence from the Framingham offspring study and the national health and nutrition examination survey 2001–2004. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(10):1991–6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

29.

Stellato R, Feldman H, Hamdy O, Horton E, McKinlay JB. Testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and the development of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged men: prospective results from the Massachusetts male aging study. Diabetes Care. 2000;23(4):490–4.CrossRefPubMed

30.

Kamezaki F, Sonoda S, Tomotsune Y, Yunaka H, Otsuji Y. Seasonal variation in metabolic syndrome prevalence. Hypertens Res. 2010;33(6):568–72.CrossRefPubMed

31.

Kamezaki F, Sonoda S, Nakata S, Muraoka Y, Okazaki M, Tamura M, et al. Association of seasonal variation in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome with insulin resistance. Hypertens Res. 2012;36(5):398–402.CrossRefPubMed

Title: Seasonal variation of hemoglobin A1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Lulu Hou
Mei Li
Xianping Huang
Lulu Wang
Pei Sun
Rui Shi
Lin Ding
Shuguang Pang
Publication date: 01-12-2017
Publisher: Springer India
Published in: International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries / Issue 4/2017
Print ISSN: 0973-3930
Electronic ISSN: 1998-3832
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13410-016-0500-y

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Heart Failure Video

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Seasonal variation of hemoglobin A1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

Incentivised to exercise

New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

» View more highlights on the ACC 2024 congress hub page

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 4/2017

Effect of community management of diabetes mellitus on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus concomitant with depression

Type 1 diabetes mellitus and eating disorders

Sport participation in pediatric age affects modifications in diabetes markers in adulthood

Assessment of prescription adherence to the AACE guidelines and risk factors for type 2 diabetes in a South Indian tertiary care hospital

Glycaemic index: challenges in translating concept to practice

From obesity through immunity to type 2 diabetes mellitus

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

Incentivised to exercise

New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

» View more highlights on the ACC 2024 congress hub page