Recognizing the Seriousness of Diabetes... But 6 out of 10 People Don't Know 'Glycated Hemoglobin'

Korean Diabetes Association National Awareness Survey
Glycated Hemoglobin, Key Indicator for Diabetes Diagnosis and Management

Awareness Level of the Severity of Diabetes Mellitus. [Source=Korean Diabetes Association]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Although the majority of our citizens recognize diabetes as a 'serious disease,' a survey has revealed that they are not properly aware of 'glycated hemoglobin,' which is used to diagnose diabetes.

The Korean Diabetes Association announced the results of a 'Diabetes Awareness Survey' conducted on 1,000 adults on the 14th in observance of 'World Diabetes Day.' According to the survey, 86.7% of respondents recognized diabetes as a serious disease.

However, among them, 64.4% responded that they 'did not know' about glycated hemoglobin. Glycated hemoglobin reflects the average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months, and a glycated hemoglobin level of 6.5% or higher is used to diagnose diabetes. Glycated hemoglobin is a key indicator for the diagnosis and management of diabetes, and relying solely on fasting blood glucose as a diagnostic criterion may miss many hidden patients.

According to a recent announcement by the Korean Diabetes Association, when using only fasting blood glucose as the diagnostic criterion for diabetes, the estimated number of diabetic patients is about 4.95 million (prevalence rate 14.5%). However, when including glycated hemoglobin, the number increases to about 5.7 million (prevalence rate 16.7%). This means that approximately 750,000 hidden diabetic patients are identified by adding the glycated hemoglobin criterion.

Diabetes has been the leading cause of disease burden in Korea for the past decade. It can cause complications such as chronic diseases like hypertension and dyslipidemia, as well as cardiovascular and kidney diseases, making early diagnosis and active management extremely important.

In particular, in this survey, one out of two undiagnosed individuals (45.2%) perceived that they might have a risk of developing diabetes, but only 38.5% knew their own fasting blood glucose levels.

Won Gyu-jang, director of the Korean Diabetes Association, stated, "To effectively manage diabetes, it is necessary to raise public awareness about fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin," adding, "We will actively carry out public campaigns and educational activities."

He continued, "The most effective way to discover hidden diabetic patients and high-risk groups is to add glycated hemoglobin to the national health screening items, which currently include only fasting blood glucose," emphasizing, "Conducting pilot projects targeting people with chronic diseases such as obesity and hypertension is also a good approach. The important thing is that national support and intervention for diabetes are absolutely necessary."

The main results of the diabetes awareness survey were announced at the 'Policy Forum for Managing the Second Diabetes Crisis,' jointly hosted by the Korean Diabetes Association, Jeong Chun-sook, Chairperson of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, and the Korea Medical Bio Journalists Association on the same day in commemoration of World Diabetes Day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.