Glycated albumin and HbA1c as markers of lower extremity disease in US adults with and without diabetes

Aim: We evaluated the associations of two biomarkers of hyperglycemia-hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and glycated albumin-with lower extremity disease in US adults overall and by diabetes status. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of adult participants aged >= 40 years who attended the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004 (unweighted N = 5,785). We used logistic regression to evaluate the associations of HbA1c and glycated albumin with lower extremity disease: peripheral neuropathy (assessed by monofilament test), peripheral artery disease (assessed by ankle-brachial index), history of foot ulcer, or amputation. All analyses were weighted and accounted for the complex NHANES sample survey design. Results: The prevalence of lower extremity disease was 17.4% (15.9% in adults without diabetes and 33.2% in adults with diabetes). HbA1c and glycated albumin were not significantly associated with lower extremity disease in adults without diabetes. However, we observed significant associations of both HbA1c (OR 1.19 per 1-% point increase, 95 %CI 1.06-1.34) and glycated albumin (OR 1.06 per 1-% point increase, 95 %CI 1.02-1.10) with lower extremity disease in adults with diabetes after adjustment. The patterns of association were similar for HbA1c and glycated albumin (P-for-seemingly-unrelated-regression = 0.60), with strong linear associations observed at high (diabetic) levels of both biomarkers. Conclusions: Our study suggests the importance of diabetes prevention and glycemic control in adults with diabetes to reduce the burden of lower extremity disease. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.