Fructosamine

Fructosamine measures glycated serum proteins (mostly albumin). Since serum proteins have a shorter half-life than hemoglobin, fructosamine reflects average blood glucose control over the preceding 2-3 weeks, compared to 2-3 months for HbA1c. It can be useful for monitoring short-term changes in glycemic control or when HbA1c may be unreliable (e.g., certain hemoglobinopathies, rapid changes in glucose). Lower levels are better.