Both percentage and mmol/mol units have been reported for HbA1c scores in the UK since June 2009 and dual reporting will continue until June 2011.

The statement says that editors of journal and other printed material are ‘strongly recommended' to require the use of both percentage and mmol/mol units.

The document points out that, although the new International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) units are being introduced worldwide, for many years researchers will still be referring to trials using the old units, such as the 1993 Diabetes Control and Complications Trial.

‘In a world of increased communication and with the ever increasing availability of information that both lay people and professionals may access via the internet, it is inevitable that scientific results from studies such as the DCCT will be brought to the attention of interested individuals for decades to come,' it says. ‘By reporting in both IFCC and DCCT units ongoing continuity between these reporting systems will be ensured.'

The statement is endorsed by The American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, the International Diabetes Federation, the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine and the International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes.