![]() ![]() People with diabetes may have more productive and informed conversations with their healthcare providers by having their point-of-care A1C levels checked during a routine clinic visit, if they have not had an A1C test performed in the last 3 months.However, they are not a replacement for self-monitoring of blood glucose levels at home using a glucose meter. Point-of-care A1C machines can be used to obtain same day A1C results in the clinic or, sometimes, at home for people with diabetes.Blood glucose levels fluctuate from hour to hour, day to day but the A1C level reflects the overall average and is the best test to monitor. ![]() ![]() Ask your healthcare provider about your A1C target. If there’s one number all patients with diabetes should know, it’s their hemoglobin A1c ( HbA1c or A1C) level: a measure of their overall blood glucose control for the past 3 months.That way, you’ll know roughly how much the results differ. Ask your provider for a laboratory measurement of your A1C to compare with the results from the point-of-care machine, especially if the results are surprising. Normal hemoglobin A1c levels range between 4 to 5.9. As more glucose (blood sugar) circulates in the blood on a daily basis, more glucose is bound to the circulating hemoglobin. Different machines (even machines from the same brand) may give different A1C levels. Hemoglobin A1c or glycosylated hemoglobin is a rough indication of blood sugar control in people with diabetes mellitus over the preceding 3 months.However, now special machines have been approved to measure A1C with just a fingerstick in an office, and in less than 10 minutes. Until just a few years ago, A1C levels could only be measured in a laboratory. Translating the A1C assay into estimated average glucose values. Source: Adapted from Nathan DM, Kuenen J, Borg R, et al. A1C level and estimated average blood glucose levels. For example, an A1C level of 7% reflects an estimated average blood glucose level of 154 mg/dl. The following table illustrates how A1C levels relate to average blood glucose, which is given in mmol/L (outside the United States) and mg/dl (within the United States). Levels higher than 9% usually reveal overall poor blood glucose control. Optimal A1C levels to reduce the risk of developing complications in most non-pregnant persons with diabetes are less than 7%, though older persons with multiple medications and limited mobility may have less stringent goals at less than 8%. After diagnosis, most patients should take the A1C test every 3 months, though the test might be spaced to every 6 months for patients with consistently good levels. The A1C test is an important tool for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes. Blood glucose levels fluctuate from hour to hour, day to day but the A1C level reflects the overall average and is the best test to monitor blood glucose control in the past 3 months. ![]() If high blood sugar levels are left untreated, you may develop a chronic health condition that may lead to damage to many bodily systems, including blindness, limb amputation, heart disease, heart attack (myocardial infarction), stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, skin disorders, and an increased risk for limb amputation.If there’s one number all patients with diabetes should know, it’s their hemoglobin A1c ( HbA1c or A1C) level: a measure of their overall blood glucose control for the past 3 months. When you don't have enough insulin or it isn't working properly, the body cannot effectively process blood sugar, resulting in high blood sugar levels and, ultimately, diabetes. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps store glucose in the liver, muscles, and fat controls the amount of glucose in your blood and regulates how your body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Your body also needs insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. However, it needs to stay within safe levels to reduce the risk of diabetes and associated disorders, such as heart disease. The sugar comes from the food you eat and supplies energy to all cells in the body. This blood test measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months.īlood glucose is the main sugar found in your bloodstream. The hemoglobin A1c test is an important tool used by healthcare professionals for the screening, diagnosis, and management of prediabetes and diabetes. When sugar enters the bloodstream, it attaches and sticks to hemoglobin molecules to form Hemoglobin A1c. Hemoglobin is a protein found only in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. ![]()
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