The effect of aspirin and vitamins C and E on HbA1c assays

• Published in: Clinica chimica acta Vol. 372; no. 1-2; pp. 206 - 209
• Main Authors: Camargo, Joíza L, Stifft, Jonathas, Gross, Jorge L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 01.10.2006
• Subjects: Ascorbic Acid - pharmacology; Aspirin - pharmacology; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Glycated Hemoglobin A - analysis; Humans; Vitamin E - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0009-8981
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2006.03.031

Aspirin (ASA) and vitamins C and E may inhibit non-enzymatic glycation in vivo and may also interfere with HbA(1c) assays, masking true results. We investigated the effect of usual doses of ASA, vitamin C and E on HbA1c levels in a group of non-diabetic volunteers. A randomized clinical trial was performed with 28 healthy non-diabetic individuals. Subjects were allocated to take ASA 200 mg/day, vitamin C 1 g/day, vitamin E 400 mg/day, or to a control group, for a period of 4 months. Blood samples were collected at baseline and at monthly intervals for HbA1c analysis by HPLC Variant II (BioRad), HPLC L-9100 (Merck - Hitachi) and Tina Quant HbA(1c) II immunoassay (Roche). HbA(1c) levels of the control, vitamin C and E groups did not change throughout the study, independently of the method used. HbA(1c) measured by Hitachi L-9100 HPLC increased significantly (P=0.033) at 4 months after ASA intake, although this increase was of only 0.17%. Treatment with vitamins C and E in pharmacological doses does not have any impact on HbA1c measurements in non-diabetic patients with the three methods employed. ASA induces a modest, not clinically relevant, increase in HbA1c levels with one of the methods.