[Efficacy of hemoglobin-Alc, fructosamine, and 1,5-anhydroglucitol in community screening for diabetes mellitus].

To evaluate the efficacy of hemoglobin-Alc, fructosamine, and 1,5-anhydroglucitol tests in screening for diabetes mellitus in communities, the sensitivity and the specificity of these tests were observed on the island of Ojika, Goto islands, Nagasaki prefecture Japan. A 75 gram glucose tolerance test was performed simultaneously on every participant, and WHO diabetes mellitus criteria were used to classify individuals. A total of 554 males and 820 females, older than 34 years, participated in the examination, representing a response rate of 42% and 52% respectively, and 86 were classified as diabetic. The sensitivity and the specificity of several screening levels were determined for each test. Each of the tests attained greater than 70% sensitivity and specificity simultaneously, but could not achieve greater than an 80% level simultaneously. If screening levels are selected for a sensitivity of as low as 50%, it is possible to produce a high specificity of 97-98%. These results provide valuable information for the planning of efficient diabetes mellitus detection programs in communities.