The Calculation of the Glucose Management Indicator Is Influenced by the Continuous Glucose Monitoring System and Patient Race

Abstract

Objective:

To determine whether the glucose management indicator (GMI), an estimate of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) derived from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) mean glycemia, differs by CGM system and patient race.

Methods:

One hundred three patients with prediabetes or stable diabetes and a minimum of 10 days of CGM data collected with the FreeStyle Libre CGM system immediately before measurement of HbA1c were included in this clinic-based observational study that used data from electronic health records in an academic endocrinology clinic. HbA1c and Libre CGM-measured mean glucose were plotted to derive a race-agnostic and race-specific regression equations to calculate a Libre-specific GMI (GMI_Li). The mean GMI derived from the published formula (GMI_P) was compared with GMI_Li.

Results:

Mean ± SD (standard deviation) age of patients was 61.9 ± 13.3 years; 50% were of nonwhite race and 77% had type 2 diabetes; mean HbA1c was 62 mmol/mol (7.8%). The mean (range) number of days with available CGM data was 26 (10–90). The mean ± SD GMI_Li was higher than the GMI_P in the entire cohort (7.9% ± 1.0% vs. 7.5% ± 1.0%, respectively; P = 0.01) and among Asian patients (7.9% ± 0.9% vs. 7.2% ± 1.0%, respectively; P = 0.03).

Conclusions:

In a cohort with prediabetes or stable diabetes, the regression equation to calculate GMI varied by CGM system and patient race. The development of device- and race-specific regression equations for GMI may be warranted.