In 2010, the American Diabetes Association released recommendations for the A1C test to be used to identify and diagnose diabetes. It is a blood test that gives health care providers a picture of how well the body metabolizes glucose over a...
If you're diabetic, there are a number of tests you can use to help you manage your blood glucose levels. One is by monitoring your glucose levels yourself using a portable glucose monitor. Another is by having your blood drawn by a clinical...
Hemoglobin A1c, or glycolated hemoglobin, is a substance in red blood cells that carries the oxygen through your blood and into the cells. When diabetes is uncontrolled and blood glucose is commonly high, glucose combines with the hemoglobin,...
Diabetes is a serious disease. If left untreated, it can lead to blindness, amputations, heart disease and other complications. One way to help yourself avoid complications is to test your blood glucose levels regularly. This allows you to make...
If you have diabetes, you try to keep your blood glucose (sugar) level stable to lower the risk of serious complications such as nerve and kidney damage, heart disease, and vision problems. You can check blood glucose levels daily, but the...
Because women in America are not routinely tested for diabetes before they conceive and between each pregnancy, the incidence of preconception diabetes is unknown but it can be estimated by considering risk factors. The 2004 National Health and...
HA1c--also called hemoglobin A1c, HBA1c or glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test--is a blood test done to show the average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. The test works by measuring the percentage of blood sugar attached to...
According to the American Diabetes Association, an international expert committee recommends the A1c blood test as the gold standard for diabetes testing. As of June 5, 2009, the American Diabetes Association, the International Diabetes Federation...
Diabetes is a condition that is marked by high blood sugar. This is the result of insufficient levels of a hormone called insulin, which signals to tissues within the body to pull sugar out of the blood. Diabetes is a chronic condition and...
Diabetes is a condition that causes blood glucose levels to be elevated. Monitoring blood glucose helps diabetics avoid some of the complications of this disease, which include heart disease and vision problems. Blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c...
You have several forms of hemoglobin in your red blood cells. The most abundant is hemoglobin A, or alpha-hemoglobin. It accounts for 90% or more of the hemoglobin in adults. Most of your hemoglobin A is subtype A1. When hemoglobin A1 absorbs...
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is no longer able to metabolize blood sugar properly. This leads to increased levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood....
Blood glucose levels are used to diagnose or monitor diabetes. Several forms of diabetes exist: Type 1 diabetes, generally diagnosed in children and young adults, is characterized by the body's inability to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is the...
Glucosamine is a substance produced in your body that helps form the important joint-protective connective tissue called cartilage. You may receive glucosamine supplements to treat or prevent osteoarthritis, or to treat inflammatory bowel disease....
According to the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 18 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes and another 57 million are at an increased risk of developing diabetes or are...
Green tea, which is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, has been used by China and India for hundreds of years to treat wounds, improve heart health and relieve gas. Most of green tea's benefits are due to its antioxidant...
At-home glucose meters are portable instruments allow anyone to test their blood easily with a simple prick of the finger. The readings help diabetics determine how much medication to take and whether they are in control of their blood glucose....
The sugar in your blood, or blood glucose, provides your body with the energy it needs to function properly. Your blood glucose fluctuates in response to the foods you eat. If you are healthy, several hormones keep the amount of glucose in your...
Several tests exist to check blood sugar levels. According to the National Institutes of Health, the standard fasting glucose test measures blood glucose levels after a fasting period of at least eight hours. The oral glucose tolerance test...
At one time, diabetes was a life-threatening disease. But current medical technology has now allowed diabetics to live normal and productive lives if they properly manage their blood glucose levels. There are several ways to monitor your blood...
A1C refers to glucose-modified hemoglobin. A1C is also known as hemoglobin A1c or HbA1c. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to cells in the body. Glucose molecules in the blood react with hemoglobin and permanently...
The American Diabetes Association states that approximately 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes. An A1c test, also known as a hemoglobin A1c, glycohemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin or glycated hemoglobin, is a blood test used...
If you have diabetes, you may be able to control it with diet and lifestyle changes, or you may need to take insulin to keep your blood sugar level in a normal range. Checking your blood sugar frequently is one way to make sure that your...
Type 2 diabetes refers to a chronic disease of uncontrolled blood sugars. Insulin is a chemical made in your body, and its job description is to lower blood glucose levels. In this type of diabetes, your body no longer makes or responds to...
After your child has a meal or snack, his body breaks nutrients down into a sugar known as glucose, the energy source for all body cells. If some of those glucose molecules aren't needed by the body cells, they stay in his bloodstream and attach...
Digestion breaks down some of the food you eat into sugars that enter your blood. These sugars, called glucose, provide the energy and fuel for the cells of your body, explains the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. In order for the...
In 2007, there were over 23 million people in the United States with diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC). When it comes to controlling diabetes, learning how to manage your blood glucose, or blood sugar,...
About 24 million people in the United States suffer from diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A person may be born with a condition known as type 1 diabetes, where his pancreas does not produce the insulin his...
Glucose is the main form of energy for the body and travels in the bloodstream. The body requires a certain amount of glucose to function properly, but having too much or too little glucose in the blood is harmful and can lead to many...