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Understanding
Hemoglobin A1C Test
The hemoglobin alc test (hgb a1c) also known as glycated hemoglobin test or glycosylated haemoglobin test is a very reliable test used by your doctor to track you blood sugar control over a period of time ranging from two to three months. Such a test doesn't measure the concentration of sugar in you blood.Instead it measures how much glucose has become permanently bonded to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) has been accepted since the mid-1970 as an index of glycemic control and is the best marker for diabetic microvascular complications. As A1C values are directly proportional to the concentration of glucose in the blood over a period of time,they are not subject to the wide fluctuations of the day-to-day fasting blood glucose tests. That is the more glucose that is in the blood ,the more glucose will be found sticking to the hemoglobin. The alc test is measured in terms of percentage. For instance, a normal alc value is one between 4.0 and 5.5 % correlates to the blood glucose monitor normal range of 80mg/dl to 120 mg/dl. The American Diabetes Association recommends people with diabetes keep their alc levels below 7%(lower for some) which is glucose reading of approximately 150 mg/dl on average over a period of 2-3 month period. A normal level of hemoglobin alc is generally between 4 percent and 5.7 percent. According to the American Diabetes Association,from 5.7 percent to 6.4 percent is considered prediabetes, and a hgb a1c level of 6.5 percent or higher means that you have diabetes. The most commonly used formula used by doctors to compute the average blood sugar that they believe matches an hemoblobin alc test result is as follows: Average Blood Glucose: = (A1c * 35.6 )- 77.3 Being given that red blood cells usually live around three months,most doctors believe that alc reflects three months worth of blood sugar control. You can perform a hemoglobin alc test at your doctor's office through a blood sample that is drawn and sent to the laboratory.After a few days to a week,the result will be known. The frequency that the American Diabetes Association recommends is twice a year all depending on tour treatment goal. How can you perform a Hemoglobin alc test at home? You may also perform a hemoglobin a1c test at home with an over the counter test approvedby the FDA ( Food and Drug Administration). The process is to draw a large drop of blood from your finger,mix it with a special solution ,place it into the a1c monitor and receive results in several minutes.But before using a home test, inform your doctor first. The Frequency of A1C Test Results
What To Do When Your Blood Glucose Test Does Not Match Your A1C?
In case your A1C result is higher than your target,you must contact your doctor at once to seek advice about how to improve results in the futur.Or you can take the following test so as not to wait until the next visit:
The hemoglobin A1C test may not work for those who may have levels of iron (anemia), chronic or heavy bleeding, or if the blood has an uncommon type of hemoglobin. In these instances there may be other A1C tests that can be used or other blood glucose tests available to check for diabetes. Does A1C accurately predicts heart attack risks? According to a study performed a few years ago by Epic-Norfolk it has been found that persons with hemoglobin a1c concentrations less than 5% had the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality.Moreover,the researchers came to the conclusion that risks of heart attacks were independant of age,systolic blood pressure,serum cholesterol concentration,cigarette smoking,instead blood sugar and blood sugar alone predicted whether or not a person was likely to have a heart attack. Researchers report that a 1% decrease in hemoglobin A1c levels (a marker of long-term glucose control) is associated with a 15 to 20 percent reduction in risk for cardiovascular complications and a 37 percent reduction in microvascular complications (like eye, kidney and nerve disease). Do not forget that A1C test is not a replacement therapy for daily blood glucose testing.Your daily normal tests should be reviewed alongside an alc test to help you understand your daily and overall control. The hemoglobin A1c test has been a method of monitoring for patients with diabetes since it was first introduced in 1976 (though studies of separating hemoglobin A1c date back to as far as 1958). It is clearly an indicator that can reveal a patient’s progress with great accuracy, which means that it will continue to be a defining test for the medical field in the aspects of diabetes. Though there are many problems that are related to diabetes, the progress of many other complications, if left untreated, may compound these problems even worse. The use of a home monitoring kit to measure blood glucose can enhance the results of the A1c test and create more positive results when the test is given. With diabetes, the more control of the issues that cause the disease, the better it can be combated. UPDATE The Level of A1C that can be fatal to diabetic Individuals According to a recent study by Dr Gregory Rutecki from the University of Alabama ,it has been found that: Intensive
level A1cs, that is, an average of 6.4%, were at a 52% greater risk of
dying! Conversely, people who were "uncontrolled," that is, a median
A1c of 10.5%, had a 79% higher risk for death from all causes!
Essentially, a "U-shaped curve" was demonstrated that diabetics can die
both from a high and low A1c. The lowest increased risk regarding death
rate resided from the group of those that have a median A1c of 7.5%, a
target above that which is currently recommended. The experts
recommended a general change in the accepted target A1C for those
having diabetes type 2 mellitus. Additionally they observed how the
difference in regimens between the two groups (oral-based versus
insulin-based therapies) meant that it must be the A1c by itself and
not the regimen that accounts for the observed outcome.
Hemoglobin A1C seems to
differ by race
Dr. David Ziemer who is an associate
professor in the
division of endocrinology and metabolism at the Emory University School
of Medicine in Atlanta. states that blacks had higher A1C levels than
whites, despite having normal blood glucose readings. In the first
study, people from black origin without diabetes had an average A1C
that was increased by .13 and the difference between blacks and whites
was .21 percent. Experts noted that even that seemingly small
difference, however, could alter the proper diagnosis of prediabetes or
diabetes.
In individuals with prediabetes, A1C levels in blacks were .26 and .30 per cent higher, respectively. And, for all those with diabetes, the average A1C level for blacks was .47 percent above that of whites . Chronic Gum Disease May Worsen Alc Level A recent study performed on 3000 Germans came to the conclusion that those germans who have gum diseases are more likely to have an increasing A1C than those without such a disease. The link between gum disease and worsening A1C levels was very strong in those people with high levels of highly sensitive C reactive protein, a marker for inflammation caused bt chronic infections and for heart disease. Source: www.diabetes,org
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