Why and when to modify or adopt new diagnostic cut-off values in laboratory tests?

Authors

  • Martín Rodríguez Argentine Diabetes Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47196/diab.v57i1.675

Keywords:

diabetes mellitus, lab tests

Abstract

Diagnostic cut-off values for laboratory tests have generally been established based on a reference range obtained from a "healthy" population. However, there may be circumstances in which it is required to modify these cut-off values for specific pathologies. This is the case of diabetes mellitus (DM), where the risk of its development is a continuum that can start from blood glucose levels considered “normal”. While the interpretation of a test with binary results is straightforward, the interpretation of a test with continuous results is not so simple. It is difficult to establish a gold standard for the diagnosis of conditions such as, for example, arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, which have constantly changed based on the concrete evidence of the benefit of reducing their values to a greater or lesser extent depending on the patient's condition. It has been even more difficult to establish a gold standard for the diagnosis of DM.

Author Biography

Martín Rodríguez, Argentine Diabetes Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina

President of the Argentine Diabetes Society; Former Professor of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National University of Cuyo

References

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Published

2023-04-01

How to Cite

Rodríguez, M. (2023). Why and when to modify or adopt new diagnostic cut-off values in laboratory tests?. Journal of the Argentine Society of Diabetes, 57(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.47196/diab.v57i1.675

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