1,5-Anhydroglucitol, also known as
1,5-AG, is a naturally occurring
monosaccharide found in nearly all foods. Blood concentrations of 1,5-anhydroglucitol decrease during times of
hyperglycemia above 180 mg/dL, and return to normal levels after approximately 2 weeks in the absence of
hyperglycemia. As a result, it can be used for people with either type-1 or type-2
diabetes mellitus to identify glycemic variability or a history of high blood glucose even if current glycemic measurements such as
hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and
blood glucose monitoring have near normal values. Despite this possible use and its approval by the FDA, 1,5-AG tests are rarely ordered. There is some data suggesting that 1,5-AG values are useful to fill the gap and offer complementary information to HbA1c and
fructosamine tests.