Glycated hemoglobin-detection methods based on electrochemical biosensors

• Novel electrochemical biosensors for detection of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)
• Recent advances in electrochemical sensing of HbA1c
• Serious problems in electrochemical sensing of HbA1c

Diabetes is a group of heterogeneous disorders with the common elements of hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance because of insulin deficiency, impaired effectiveness of insulin action or both. The best marker for long-term glycemic control is whole-blood glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), since its levels correspond to the long-term progression of diabetes without short-term fluctuations in the behavior of glucose. Currently, common laboratory methods to recognize glycated proteins are high-performance liquid chromatography, immunoassay and electrophoresis. The accuracy and the precision of A1C assays at least match those of glucose assays. Consequently, the International Expert Committee (with members appointed by the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and the International Diabetes Federation) decided that the A1c assay should be recognized as the primary method for diagnosing diabetes. In this review, we look at electrochemical biosensors for the detection of glycated proteins developed in recent years.