Glycated albumin is stable in plasma when exposed to common laboratory conditions and comparable when drawn from venous or capillary sites.

BACKGROUND: Circulating glycated albumin is a marker of blood glucose reflecting the previous 2 weeks. However, the effects of storage conditions and draw site on glycated albumin values are not fully understood.

METHODS: Fifteen plasma samples from people with type 2 diabetes were assessed during repeated freeze-thaw rounds for 10 cycles. A further 15 samples were stored at 4°C and assessed over 3 days. Another 40 samples drawn concurrently from capillary and venous sites had their glycated albumin content compared.

RESULTS: Glycated albumin concentration did not alter over 10 freeze-thaw cycles (P=.856), or after 72 hours at 4°C (P=.962). Capillary and venous samples did not differ in their percentage of glycated albumin (P=.379), although lower concentrations of albumin and glycated albumin (g/dL) were observed in the capillary sample (P<.001).

CONCLUSION: Glycated albumin in plasma appears relatively stable when exposed to common laboratory conditions, reducing a potential confounder to its use as a marker of blood glucose control. The glycated albumin (%) in samples from capillary and venous sites was comparable, suggesting the potential of rapid or portable assessment devices that require a finger prick.