Objective: To assess the relationship between 1,5-anhydroglucitol (AG) levels, which are a marker of glycemic control, and stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Research design and methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 269 subjects with type 2 diabetes who were divided into four groups based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (eGFR(MDRD)) formula: 57 in control, 111 in CKD stages 1-2, 78 in stage 3, and 23 in stages 4-5.
Results: The study groups differed significantly with respect to 1,5-AG and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), age, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, HDL, and percentage of antihypertension or antidyslipidemia medication use. Stepwise multivariate regression analyses showed that 1,5-AG levels in the control group, the CKD stages 1-2 group, and the CKD stage 3 group could be explained by HbA(1c), age, duration of diabetes, FPG, and antihypertension medication. However, eGFR(MDRD) was the only independent determinant of 1,5-AG levels in CKD stages 4-5. Logarithmic transformed 1,5-AG values (ln[1,5-AG]) had significant inverse correlations with HbA(1c) and FPG levels for CKD stages 1-2 and CKD stage 3 (all P < 0.001). However, associations between ln(1,5-AG) and HbA(1c) or FPG were insignificant for CKD stages 4-5 (P = 0.274 and P = 0.080, respectively).
Conclusions: This study demonstrated that 1,5-AG levels do not appear to be influenced by mild or moderate renal dysfunction, suggesting it is a reliable glycemic marker in type 2 diabetes with CKD stages 1-3.