The Impact and Correction of Analysis Delay and Variability in Storage Temperature on the Assessment of HbA1c from Dried Blood Spots-an IMI DIRECT Study

Nina Scherer1, Azra Kurbasic2, Christiane Dings1, Andrea Mari3, Valerie Nock4, Anita M. Hennige4, Robert W. Koivula2,5, Markku Laakso6, Maritta Siloaho6, Tim J. McDonald7,8, Imre Pavo9, Giuseppe N. Giordano2, Tue H. Hansen10, Femke Rutters11, Jacqueline M Dekker11, Bernd Jablonka12, Hartmut Ruetten12, Ewan R. Pearson13, Paul W. Franks2 and Thorsten Lehr1* 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Saarland, Saarbrucken, Germany 2Department of Clinical Sciences, Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Lund University, Sweden 3C N R Institute of Neuroscience, Padova, Italy 4Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Biberach an der Riss, Germany 5Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 6Department of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio, University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland 7NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK 8Blood Sciences, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK 9Eli Lilly Regional Operations GmbH, Vienna, Austria 10The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Section of Metabolic Genetics, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark 11Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 12Sanofi -Aventis Deutschland GmbH, R&D, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 13Medical Research Institute, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK