Description
1, 5-Anhydrosorbitol or 1, 5-anhydroglucitol (1, 5-AG) is a validated marker of short-term glycemic control. This substance is derived mainly from food, is well absorbed in the intestine, and is distributed to all organs and tissues. It is metabolically stable, being excreted in the urine when its level exceeds the renal threshold. It is reabsorbed in the renal tubules and is competitively inhibited by glucosuria, which leads to a reduction in its level in serum. The correlation between this reduction and the amount of glucose present in urine is so close that 1, 5 AG can be used as a sensitive, day-to-day, real-time marker of glycemic control. It provides useful information on current glycemic control and is superior to both hemoglobin A1C and fructosamine in detecting near-normoglycemia. 1, 5-AG in human plasma has been proposed for several years as a short-term, retrospective marker of glycemic control and seems to be the most suitable parameter for monitoring glucose excursions. The decrease in serum 1, 5-AG is very sensitive to urinary glucose excretion. It is a metabolically inert polyol that competes with glucose for reabsorption in the kidneys. Otherwise stable levels of 1, 5-AG are rapidly depleted as blood glucose levels exceed the renal threshold for glucosuria. 1, 5-AG is also more tightly associated with glucose fluctuations and postprandial glucose