Background: Intermittent states of hyperglycemia have 
been identified as risk factor for vascular complications of 
type 2 diabetes mellitus independent from the mean blood 
glucose level. 1,5-Anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) levels 
decrease when blood glucose is elevated above the renal 
threshold and has recently been proved as marker of 
intermittent, e.g. postprandial hyperglycemia. The 
objective of this cross-sectional study is to identify if 1,5
AG is related to the prevalence of vascular complications 
in patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus. 
Methods: 164 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 
hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≤ 7 % under stable glycemic 
control were recruited between 2007 and 2010. Sera were 
analyzed for the 1,5-AG level using an enzymatic test 
(Glykomark™). Besides other relevant laboratory, 
biometric and demographic findings, the concomitant 
therapy and the prevalence of macrovascular (coronary 
heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular 
disease) as well as microvascular (retinopathy, 
nephropathy) complications were recorded. After 
differentiation of the patients into cohorts with adequately 
and inadequately controlled diabetes mellitus according to 
1,5-AG levels the prevalences of vascular complications 
and the used antidiabetic treatments in those groups were 
compared.

Results: There were no significant differences between 
patients with normal or reduced 1,5-AG levels regarding 
demographic and laboratory parameters as well as the kind 
of therapy. Prevalence of macro- and microvascular 
complications was 31.7% and 39%, respectively. There 
were no significant differences in the prevalence of macro- 
or microvascular complications between the subjects with 
normal and those with reduced 1,5-AG level. Also the 
surrogate parameters of cardiovascular complications (NT
proBNP, homocysteine and vitamin D) did also not show 
any differences between both groups. 
Conclusion: In patients with well-controlled type 2 diabetes 
mellitus, no differences could be found concerning the 
prevalences of micro- and macrovascular complications 
between subjects with normal compared to reduced 1,5-AG 
levels.