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A1C TESTING
Keeping diabetes in good control is the key to staying healthy. You check your blood sugar levels at different times of the day to see the effect of your diabetes management on your blood glucose.
Self-monitoring of your blood sugar tells you what your blood sugar level is at that moment, which is very helpful. Self-monitoring your blood sugar is just one part of your diabetes management plan. It ALONE does not give you the whole picture.
There is another test that can tell you your average blood sugar for the past 2 to 3 months. This test is called an A1C.
Different names of this test are :
HbA1C
Glycohemoglobin
A1C
What does the A1C measure?
A1C is a measure of how much sugar is stuck to your hemoglobin.
Your A1C reading tells you and your doctors what your average blood sugar level has been for the
past 2 or 3 months.
A1C will be high when you have lots of sugar in your blood and your average blood sugar has been high for the past few months,
The A1C test allows you to see overall how good your control has really been. You should talk to your healthcare team about your daily blood sugar tests and your A1C.
How does my A1C reading compare to my daily blood sugar levels?
This chart is an example of how blood sugar compares to A1C.
Note = The numbers in this chart are for non-pregnant adults. Your action steps should be discussed with your doctors. Some labs use different ways to test and have a different normal range. Talk to your healthcare team about your results.
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How can A1C testing help me?
An A1C higher than 7% is a warning sign that your diabetes is out of control and may increase your risk of developing complications.
If your A1C is high, your doctors may change your diabetes plan to help control your blood sugar better. Changes in your plan are expected from time to time and will help bring your A1C closer to normal.
When your A1C is close to normal (4- 6%), you know you are doing all you can to stay healthy. Research shows that good blood sugar control does lower your risk of developing major related health problems including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease, nerve damage, amputations, and circulation problems. By keeping your blood sugar close to normal, you can stop or delay the damage high blood sugar does to blood vessels and nerves. You can prevent the complications of diabetes.
How often should I have an A1C test?
American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends performing the A1C test at least two times a year in patients who are meeting treatment goals (and who have stable glycemic control) and quarterly (4 times per year) in patients whose therapy has changed or who are not meeting glycemic goals.
Two major studies have shown the importance of good blood sugar control and the relationship of the A1C to diabetes complications.The first was the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). In this study, patients who had close to normal A1C were in better health and had fewer cases of eye disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage.
The other study was called the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS). This was a study done with patients with type 2 diabetes. People who had good blood sugar control were in better health in this study, too.
Both of these studies show that the hard work it takes to control your blood sugar is worth it. Your doctors will help you take good care of your blood sugar. They will tell you how often you should have an A1C.
Ask your doctor, for more details. Your doctor will help you get your A1C test results in clinic in just 5 minutes.
