When your blood glucose is high more glucose attaches to the red blood cells, when blood glucose is low less glucose attaches to the red blood cells. This attachment is permanent for the life span of that particular red blood cell. Individual cells usually have a lifespan of about three months. Taking an HbA1c test every three months is recommend because your HbA1c level will reflect your average blood glucose over the previous three months.
Your blood glucose level is constantly changing; it will vary when you have eaten, during exercise, after exercise, if you are stressed and so on. Checking your blood glucose is important and is used when making day to day decisions such as selecting your insulin dose or if you are worried that your glucose level is getting a bit low a hypo.
Even if you do take your blood glucose level several times a day you may miss the highest and lowest points which is why the HbA1c test is also needed for good health management. There is a proven link between high HbA1c levels and diabetes-related complications such as stroke, heart and kidney disease, loss of eyesight and amputations. The closer your HbA1c level to your recommended level, the less likely you are to develop these complications. Also, if any of these complications do occur they are more likely to come on later in life, rather than sooner.
Your doctor will recommend an HbA1c level based on your particular lifestage and circumstances. If you are not sure of your target HbA1c have a chat with your healthcare team. Yes, the HbA1c test is now used in Australia to diagnose diabetes and pre-diabetes pre-diabetes is a condition where your blood glucose is higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. If you are concerned that you may be developing diabetes you can take an HbA1c test and discuss the results with your doctor.
The units used to explain your HbA1c level are changing. Until recently the results were shown only as a percentage. So when you get your test results you will see two sets of numbers. You can use either when discussing your results with your healthcare team. You have a few options to choose from when you take your HbA1c test. Your doctor can order the test and you can have a blood sample taken from the vein in your arm.
The tube of blood will be sent to a lab for analysis, then you can get your results from the doctor. Red blood cells live for up to 4 months, so HbA1c gives an indication of how much sugar there has been in the blood over the past few months.
For people who have diabetes, the test is used to indicate how well the diabetes has been controlled over the last few months. People with diabetes are advised to have this test every 3 to 6 months, or more frequently if it is not under control. This is important. The higher the HbA1c, the greater the risk of developing complications such as problems with your eyes and kidneys.
If you have not previously been diagnosed as having diabetes, an HbA1c of 6. If your level is lower than this, you might need other tests to check whether you have diabetes or not. If you do have diabetes, your doctor will usually aim for an HbA1c of 6. If the HbA1c is higher than the target range, your doctor may consider changing your treatment or closer monitoring.
There are some medical conditions, such as anaemia , that change red blood cells and affect your HbA1c result.
You should discuss the results with your doctor to see what they mean in your particular situation. Video provided by Lab Tests Online. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. The HbA1c test is a way of looking at your average blood glucose level over a period of time. We explain why its useful in helping to manage your diabetes. The HbA1c glycated haemoglobin test is a useful, simple and inexpensive blood test that can be used to diagnose diabetes and also to monitor blood glucose control in people with known diabetes.
Read more on myDr website. Your red blood cells contain a protein called haemoglobin Hb which carries oxygen. Sugar glucose in your bloodstream can combine with the haemoglobin in red blood cells, forming glycated haemoglobin. Even people with normal blood glucose levels have some glycated haemoglobin in their blood, but if you have consistently high blood glucose levels, a higher proportion of red blood cells will have glycated haemoglobin.
The HbA1c test measures the percentage of all haemoglobin that is bound to glucose. The HbA1c level reflects the average blood glucose levels from the last 3 months or so. Doctors usually recommend that people with diabetes have an HbA1c test about every months, as it gives an indication of the overall control of blood glucose levels over the previous weeks.
A raised HbA1c correlates with an increased risk of developing diabetes complications such as diabetic retinopathy. HbA1c testing is used in addition to home blood glucose monitoring which shows day to day blood sugar highs and lows to help give a picture of whether your diabetes treatment is effective. The HbA1c test is a simple blood test. The blood can be taken by your doctor or at a pathology lab.
There is no need to fast before the test — you can eat and drink as normal. The results should be available within 24 hours. The test measures the percentage of haemoglobin that is bound to glucose, which reflects the average blood glucose concentration over last few months.
Abnormal results which would be higher than the normal range indicate a possible diagnosis of diabetes or poor control of diabetes. If you are having an HbA1c test to help diagnose diabetes, a result of 6. A repeat test is often recommended to confirm the result, especially if you have no symptoms.
Your doctor will also want to talk with you about your lifestyle, such as your diet and how much physical activity you usually do. If you have known diabetes and your HbA1c is 6. Most doctors would recommend that people with diabetes should aim for this range. However, some people may have a target HbA1c range that is slightly higher than this.
If your levels are higher than your target range, that means that your blood sugar levels probably have not been well controlled recently.
Your doctor will want to talk to you about your current treatments and whether any adjustments need to be made. HbA1c is a simple blood test that does not require any fasting or other special preparation beforehand, and can be done at any time of the day.
This is compared with other tests that can be used in the diagnosis of diabetes. A fasting blood sugar level, as the name implies, requires you to fast not eat food or drink for a certain period of time before having the blood test. An oral glucose tolerance test is another way to diagnose diabetes.
It requires a special diet for 3 days before having the test, and then fasting overnight before the test. This test also involves having several blood tests over a couple of hours — before and after having to drink a certain volume of sweet liquid. The test is time consuming and some people find that drinking the liquid can make them feel sick. Most of us have type A haemoglobin HbA, or adult haemoglobin , but some people have a variant form of haemoglobin.
This is known as a haemoglobinopathy, and it can cause falsely high or low HbA1c results. Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia can give a falsely high result; and haemolytic anaemia , blood loss, chronic ongoing liver disease and chronic kidney disease can give a falsely low HbA1c result.
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