# Association of the Ratio of Glycoalbumin to Hemoglobin A1c With Season Change and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

## TL;DR

This study found that the ratio of glycoalbumin to hemoglobin A1c in type 2 diabetes patients varies seasonally but was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Contribution

The study reveals seasonal variation in GA/HbA1c without impact from the pandemic in type 2 diabetes patients.

## Key findings

- GA/HbA1c showed a tendency to be higher in summer or autumn and lower in spring or winter.
- No significant differences in GA/HbA1c were observed between 2018, 2019, and 2020.
- The GA/HbA1c ratio was not influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic period.

## Abstract

Aim: The main purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of season change and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ratio of glycoalbumin to hemoglobin A1c (GA/HbA1c) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Patients and methods: A total of 267 patients in whom both HbA1c and GA were measured at baseline were included in this retrospective study. GA/HbA1c was investigated for three years, 2018, 2019, and 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic period).

Results: The mean values for GA/HbA1c per year in 2018, 2019, and 2020 were 2.64±0.35, 2.61±0.35, 2.64±0.39, respectively. There were no significant differences in GA/HbA1c during these years. There was a tendency toward seasonal variation in GA/HbA1c (i.e., higher in summer or autumn and lower in spring or winter).

Conclusion: In patients with type 2 diabetes, GA/HbA1c tended to show seasonal variation, which was not influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.