The A1C test is a blood test that reflects the average blood-glucose level over the last 2 to 3 months. Blood sample to check A1C can be taking at any time of the day, does not require fasting.
A1C test overview
Goal of every individual with diabetes is to keep his or her blood glucose at an ideal level. The reason behind this goal is to maintain health and feel better, and help to prevent or delay diabetes complications such as nerve, eye, kidney, and blood vessel damage.
First step to keep track of the blood-glucose level is by checking it at home using home glucose meter. This test only provides a current blood-glucose level at that instead.
For proper diabetes treatment, you require to know, how well you are doing as a whole. To fulfill this requirement, we use A1C test, which provide an average blood-glucose level for the past 2 to 3 months. This A1C test sometimes calls as Glycated hemoglobin, or HbA1c. The A1C blood test result provides you a good overall picture of how well; the diabetes treatment plan is working, or it needs any modification.
The A1C test is a simple test that reflects the average blood-glucose level over the last 2 - 3 months. Blood sample to check A1C can be taking at any time of the day.
Does A1C is suitable for the diagnosis of pre-diabetes and type-2 diabetes?
Yes, international organization recommends A1C test as one of the tests to diagnose pre-diabetes and type-2 diabetes. Because A1C test provides mean value of blood-glucose levels of last 3 months, whereas blood-glucose test only provides a glucose level at that instead. You know diabetes type 2 develops slowly for months, during this period your blood-glucose level may fluctuate largely, and you may miss out the high level. Whereas, A1C helps diagnosis to diagnose early that is with convenience without fasting.
|
The A1C results |
Diagnosis |
|
Less than 5.7 % |
Normal, you are non-diabetic |
|
5.7 to 6.4 % |
Pre-diabetes, you are more risk for diabetes |
|
6.5 % or more |
Diabetes, you are diagnosed as diabetes, still need to confirm with another test. |
Use of A1C test after diabetes diagnosis
Health care providers are using A1C test to assess how well your diabetes treatment is going on both for type-1 or type-2 diabetes. If your blood-glucose level is stable, you have to repeat A1C test two times a year. If your blood-glucose target has not reached, you may need to repeat A1C test up to four times a year. If you manage your A1C at target helps to reduce a risk for diabetes complications.
Are both blood glucose and A1C testing necessary for diabetes management?
Diabetes institutions recommend both blood-glucose monitoring and A1C testing for proper diabetes control. Self-blood glucose monitoring provides you how much glucose in your blood at that instant. Whereas, A1C test provides your average blood-glucose level over the past three months, A1C helps assess your treatment regimen.
Research studies show that improving both blood-glucose level and A1C is beneficial to diabetes patients to avoid both micros and macro-vascular diabetes complications.
Why is the A1C test important in diabetes management?
American diabetes association and other diabetes institutes recognize A1C test as a well-established way to determine your historical glycemic control. Results from Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) confirms the link between A1C levels and the risk towards diabetes complications in diabetes patients (both type 1 & 2). A1C has a strong relationship with the blood-glucose level; increase in glucose level will reflect in an increase in A1C.
The A1C has a strong link to your risk of developing long-term diabetes complications. The closer your A1C result to the normal range(less than 7%), it is better for your health and reduced risk towards diabetes complications.
Approximately, 1 % increase in HbA1C over a normal range can cause 10 to 18 percent increase in cardio vascular disease; 12 to 14 percent increase in early death, and 37 percent increase in retinopathy and nephropathy.
You may also be interested in:
- What are the benefits of A1C test? You can learn by visiting A1C benefits.
- What is a normal A1C target? You can learn by visiting Healthy A1C goal.
- How do you convert A1C to estimated average glucose (eAG)? You can easily convert by visiting A1C to eAG calculator and glucose chart.
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- What is the relation between A1C and blood-glucose test? You can learn by visiting A1C glucose relationship.