Serum fructosamine measures the glycation of serum proteins (principally albumin) and provides an accurate measure of the average blood glucose concentration over 1-2 weeks (dogs) or 1-3 weeks (cats). This can be used to monitor diabetes mellitus therapy as well as for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. It is particularly useful in cats for differentiating stress hyperglycaemia from more persistently elevated blood glucose levels, and may be of some use in the diagnosis of canine insulinoma. The fructosamine concentration is affected by hypoproteinaemia and hypoalbuminaemia.
Small animals
Causes of increased fructosamine
- Untreated diabetes mellitus (usually >400μmol/l)
- Poor metabolic control of diabetes mellitus
Causes of decreased fructosamine
- Insulinoma
- Hypoglycaemia due to excess insulin if over 2-3 weeks
For monitoring glycaemic control during insulin therapy, the following guidelines may be applied:
| Fructosamine (μmol/l) | Comment |
|---|---|
| <300 | Risk of hypoglycaemic episodes |
| 350-400 | Excellent control |
| 400-450 | Good control |
| 450-500 | Fair control |
| >500 | Poor control |
Complementary testes
Plasma glucose, total protein, albumin. When monitoring diabetes mellitus, if there is discordancy between the fructosamine result and the reported clinical response, a glucose curve may be indicated.
Authors & References
Small Animals NationWide Laboratories