Can a Glycated Hair Protein Assay Be a Non-Invasive Indicator of Blood Glucose Control? Assessing the Influence of Sample Mass and Chemical Hair Treatments

The study aimed to evaluate if the glycated protein in scalp hair could predict blood glucose control, similar to HbA1c levels, and to assess the effects of cosmetic hair treatments and the mass of hair samples on the assay's accuracy. The study included 192 participants from whom hair samples were collected and analyzed for fructosamine concentration using the Thiobarbituric Acid method. The results showed a statistically significant positive correlation between HbA1c and fructosamine levels in untreated hair samples, particularly when the sample mass was between 40mg to 120mg, with the strongest correlation (r(28) = 0.647, p < 0.001) observed in samples over 70mg. The study concluded that hair glycation could be a reliable non-invasive indicator of blood glucose control in optimal conditions, but the practicality of its use is limited by factors such as sample collection, assay duration, and the impact of hair treatments.