A typical blood test to identify both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is the A1C test. The test also assesses how well you control blood sugar levels if you have diabetes. The A1C test is also known as the HbA1c test, hemoglobin A1C test, glycated hemoglobin test, and glycosylated hemoglobin test.
The A1C test result shows your average blood sugar level over the previous two to three months. The A1C test determines explicitly how much of your blood’s hemoglobin proteins are coating with sugar (glycated). Red blood cells’ hemoglobin proteins carry oxygen.
You have worse blood sugar control and a greater chance of developing diabetic complications when your A1C’s score rises.
Why Is It Done?
Your doctor or another healthcare professional may benefit from the results of an A1C test because:
- The presence of prediabetes. You have an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease if you have prediabetes.
- Diagnosis of diabetes types 1 and 2. Your doctor will likely review the outcomes of two blood tests performed on various occasions to establish a diagnosis of diabetes, either two A1C tests or the A1C test plus another test, such as a fasting or random blood sugar test.
Keep track of your diabetic medication regimen. Your baseline A1C’s level is also establishing using initial A1C test results. After that, the test is done often to monitor your diabetes treatment programme.
The kind of diabetes you have, your treatment strategy, how well you’re adhering to your treatment plan, and your primary care doctor’s clinical judgement will all influence how often you require the A1C test. For instance, the A1C test may be suggesting:
- If you have prediabetes, once a year
- If you don’t take insulin and your blood sugar level is constantly within your goal range, you should only undergo this test twice a year.
- If you need insulin or have difficulty maintaining a target blood sugar level, you should see a doctor four times yearly.
- If your doctor modifies your diabetes treatment regimen or you start using a new diabetic medication, you could need more regular A1C testing.
Preparation
It’s an easy blood test. The A1C test does not require you to fast, so you should eat and drink before the test.
What To Anticipate
A member of your medical team draws blood for the A1C test by sticking a needle into a vein in your arm or pricking the tip of your finger with a tiny, pointed lancet. A lab will analyze the sample if blood is drawn from a vein.
For same-day results, blood drawn from your finger may be analyzing at your doctor’s office. This in-office test is not intending for diagnosis or screening but simply for monitoring your treatment course.
Results
Results of the A1C test are presenting in percentages. Higher average blood sugar levels are correlating with a higher A1C percentage. The following is how results for a diagnosis are interpreting:
- Normal is 5.7% or less.
- Prediabetes has a diagnosis rate of 5.7% to 6.4%.
- Diabetes is diagnosing when two tests show a 6.5% or higher level.
An A1C score of less than 7% is a standard treatment goal for most persons with diabetes. For certain persons, lower or higher aims may be suitable.
The goal of fewer than 7% is linking to a decreased risk of complications from diabetes. Your doctor could suggest modifying your diabetes treatment plan if your A1C result exceeds the recommended threshold.
Self-Monitoring And A1c
Self-monitoring at home with a blood glucose monitor or other gadget will be a component of your treatment strategy. You’ll get instructions from your medical team on how and when to test your blood sugar.
In millimoles of sugar per liter (mmol/L) or milligrammes of sugar per decilitre (mg/dL), respectively, is how your self-monitoring equipment measures your blood sugar levels. The measurement shows your blood sugar level at the time of the test. Because of this and other things like stress, exercise, and eating, there is some variation throughout the day.
In addition to assisting you in setting daily treatment objectives such as food and exercise, self-monitoring lets you determine if your A1C target is being met. Your self-monitoring blood sugar levels, for instance, should be, on average, below 154 mg/dL (8.6 mmol/L) if your A1C aim is below 7%.
Problems With The A1c Test
The accuracy of A1C test results may be affecting by several variables. These consist of:
- Pregnancy
- Recent or significant bleeding
- Recent donation of blood
- Anemias are conditions that cause inadequate red blood cells.
- Variations in hemoglobin: Hemoglobin A is the name given to the most prevalent kind of protein that carries oxygen. A1C test findings may be unreliable if there are other protein variations present. People with ancestry from Africa, the Mediterranean, or Southeast Asia are more likely to have hemoglobin variations. Your test may need to be submitting to a specialized lab if you have a variation of your hemoglobin, or you may need a separate trial to diagnose and manage diabetes.