The evaluationof metabolic control in diabetic patients has become more reliable since the introduction of long term control parameters Hke glycated hemoglobin. Glycated albumin äs a new medium term parameter due to its shorter life-time (appr. 19 days) reflects more rapidly changes in glucose homeostasis. We compared two methods based on boronic acid affinity chromatography to other parameters of metabolic control with special regards to influencing and troubling factors. Both methods showed a significant difference between diabetic and control groups: l normal 3.65 ± 1.32% vs diabetic 6.72 ± 3.36% (p < 0.0001), U 0.73 ± 0.25% vs 2.65 ± 1.94% (p < 0.001). The correlations between glycated albumin and HbA^ were significant in both, l r = 0.69 (n = 61, p < 0.0001) and II r = 0.70 (n = 24, p < 0.0001), äs well äs in terms of postprandial blood glucose [l r = 0.37 (n = 53, p < 0.001), II r = 0.73 (n = 11, p < 0.01)]. Patients with long Standing diabetes and overt complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy) had the same metabolic control compared to those without complications. Short therm hyperglycemia induced by an oral glucose tolerance test did not affect the analytical procedure. According to our results measurement of glycated albumin is not sensitive to detect impaired glucose tolerance. Depending on the clinical Situation, determination of glycated albumin alone or in combination with HbA, will provide a valuable tool for the assessment of metabolic control in diabetes.