Key clinical point: Although high first‐trimester glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels are predictive of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), they cannot ensure effective GDM diagnosis owing to subpar sensitivity or specificity.
Main finding: An HbA 1c cutoff value of 4.85% ruled out GDM with a diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of 92.2%, 32.8%, 95.5%, and 21.2%, respectively, whereas HbA 1c cutoff value of 5.45% for diagnosing GDM decreased sensitivity (54.8%) while increasing specificity (96.8%), with the NPV and PPV being 91.5% and 76.8%, respectively.
Study details: The data are derived from a single-center prospective study including 700 singleton pregnant women over 18 years of age who did not have type I or II diabetes mellitus.
Disclosures: The study was not funded by any source. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.
Source: Valadan M et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2022;22:71 (Jan 27). Doi: 10.1186/s12884-021-04330-2.