FRUCTOSAMINE
This test is used to evaluate diabetic control. Fructosamine is indicated as an index of longer term control rather than glucose levels. However, it reflects diabetic control over a shorter time period (2-3 weeks) than that of hemoglobin A, which represents control over a 4-8 week time period. Fructosamine is found in the plasma of both normal and diabetic individuals. "Fructosamine" is the term used to describe glycated proteins (ie, derivatives of the non-enzymatic reaction product of glucose and albumin). It has been advocated as an alternative test to hemoglobin A for the monitoring of long-term diabetic control. Fructosamine and hemoglobin A do not measure exactly the same thing. Fructosamine has a shorter half-life and appears to be more sensitive to short-term variations in glucose levels. Fructosamine is clearly superior in patients with abnormal hemoglobin because of the interference of abnormal hemoglobin in the anion-exchange chromatography methods for Hgb A.
