Hemoglobin variants are one of many factors that can influence an A1C test’s accuracy. This type of variant is most commonly found in patients of Black, South and Southeast Asia, and Mediterranean descent. Measurements for these patient populations may not be entirely accurate (10).
In addition, other factors can affect A1C result accuracy in some ethnic group. For example, the Black population has a higher rate of sickle cell disease, and A1C test result for people with sickle cell disease are significantly inaccurate.
Read more about minority patient groups’ higher risk of developing diabetes and receiving inaccurate A1C readings.