Research shows that keeping blood-glucose close to normal reduces diabetes complications. For better diabetes care, need to maintain the glucose level at target.
Tests for blood-glucose control
- Use a glucose monitor to test glucose level at home called self-monitoring of blood-glucose (SMBG).
- The A1C test gives an average blood-glucose level over the last three months. It is the best way to know your overall diabetes control performance. This test otherwise called as hemoglobin A-1-C or H-b-A-1-C.
For effective diabetes treatment, you need to use both the A1C and SMBG to get a complete picture of blood-glucose control.
Home Blood-glucose monitoring
(Best Test for Day-to-Day glucose level monitoring)
- Monitoring blood-glucose helps to see how food, physical activity, and medicine affect the glucose levels. The readings can help to manage diabetes day to day or even hour to hour. Keep a record of the test results and review it at each visit with the health care team.
- Learn to test by yourself - Be sure and confirm with your health care team that you are performing the test in a correct way. Furthermore, know whether the meter gives the results as plasma or whole blood-glucose.
- Below table shows both plasma and whole blood values of blood-glucose goals for most diabetics. Confirm what is your glucose meter output format is?
- Test frequency – Blood-glucose test usually done before meals, after meals, and or at bedtime. Insulin users need to test more often than non-insulin’s. Ask your health care team for test frequency.
- Home blood-glucose monitoring is for day-to-day diabetic care, still need the A1C test for long-term diabetes care.
The A1C Test
(Best test for Long-Term blood-glucose monitoring)
- A1C test is a simple test that gives an average blood-glucose level over the last three months. You can take the blood sample to check A1C at any time.
- A1C test is the best test to judge effectiveness of the diabetes treatments.
- For most people with diabetes, the good A1C goal is less than 7.
- You should test A1C at least twice a year. Get the test more often (once in three months) if the blood-glucose stays too high or if your treatment plan changes.