Liquid Ready-to-Use Fructosamine Assay Is Now Available

A new liquid ready-to-use fructosamine assay is now available; the new formulation makes the assay easy to use because it requires no offline preparation. It is based on an enzymatic method and offers superior performance in terms of specificity and reliability compared to traditional NBT based methods.

A much earlier indicator of diabetic control than HbA1c, fructosamine provides useful information on an individual's average blood-glucose levels over the preceding 14-21 days. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recognizes fructosamine as a useful tool in monitoring diabetes control especially in situations where HbA1C cannot be reliably measured

Fructosamine is often measured to evaluate the effectiveness of medication changes after as little as two weeks. It is also routinely tested alongside glucose when monitoring insulin requirements during gestational diabetes. The needs of expectant mothers change frequently during pregnancy making fructosamine an ideal marker of glycemic control

The fructosamine assay is a product of Randox (Crumlin, United Kingdom). All reagents are liquid–ready-to-use for increased efficiency and productivity. Once opened, they are stable onboard the analyzer for 28 days at +10 °C, minimizing the possibility of reagent waste.

The commonly used HbA1c test is based on the presence of normal hemoglobin and is therefore unsuitable in cases where the patient has a condition affecting the red blood cells e.g., hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia, and thalassemia. In these situations, fructosamine is used as an alternative to tightly monitor glucose control.

The Randox assay is fully automated and suitable for use on a wide range of clinical chemistry analyzers with applications available on request for the most popular instruments. A dedicated reagent pack is also available for the Randox RX series of chemistry analyzers. Two kit sizes are available--one providing approximately 380 tests per kit and another providing up to 500 tests per kit. These numbers will vary according to the instrument used.

Related Links:
American Diabetes Association
Randox