Fructosamine Blood Test

Fructosamine is a marker of sugar control in the body reflecting the average sugar level in the blood over the previous 2–3 weeks. When glucose levels are raised in the blood over a period of time, glucose molecules permanently combine with proteins in the blood. These combined molecules remain for the life of the protein and provide a record of the average amount of glucose present in the blood over that time period.The fructosamine test reflects the average glucose levels over a 2 to 3 week time period as serum proteins have a lifespan, of around 14 to 21 days.

Both fructosamine and HbA1c tests are used to monitor sugar levels in the body, especially useful for diabetics as a monitoring tool in controlling their sugar levels. HbA1c is most frequently used but fructosamine may be useful in situations where HbA1c cannot be reliably measured such as in those with anaemia or with haemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia.