The Start of Something Good: The Discovery of HbA1c and the American Diabetes Association Samuel Rahbar Outstanding Discovery Award

Sometimes, a scientific achievement merits its own prize. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) acknowledged Samuel Rahbar, MD, PhD, with just such an honor—the Samuel Rahbar Outstanding Discovery Award— for a contribution to the study and treatment of diabetes that resonates to this day. Rahbar is the person who discovered that HbA1c is elevated in people with diabetes. This breakthrough came in 1968 and was not immediately appreciated broadly, but over the next few decades HbA1c became arguably the most important indicator of blood glucose control, enabling doctor and patient to, for the first time, critically assess the impact of lifestyle changes and medication on long-term health (Table 1).