SAN FRANCISCO – The American Diabetes Association has unified the pediatric hemoglobin A1c target values to less than 7.5% for all pediatric age groups, moving away from breaking down glycemic control targets by age. This will also harmonize the HbA1c goals with those of international groups such as the International Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD).
The change is part of a new position statement released on June 16 during the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association (Diabetes Care 2014;37:2034-54). The document also for the first time brings together recommendations for care of individuals with type 1 diabetes across all age groups.
In a video interview, Dr. Lori M.B. Laffel, one of the statement’s coauthors and chief of the pediatric, adolescent, and young adult section at Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, explains the rationale behind this decision. Dr. David Maahs of the University of Colorado, Aurora, discusses the potential concern regarding the risk of hypoglycemia.
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