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 requires regular monitoring to ensure that the patient does not develop blood sugar levels that are high enough to cause nerve, retina and cardiovascular disease. Testing for levels of A1c is one test that diabetics can use for blood sugar monitoring.
Hemoglobin A1c
Hemoglobin A1c, also known as HbA1c, is a subtype of the protein hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an important part of red blood cells because it is used to bind to and transport oxygen. Glucose is able to react with normal hemoglobin to form hemoglobin A1c, which is also known as glycated hemoglobin. The amount of hemoglobin A1c present is proportional to the concentration of glucose in the blood.
Testing
The A1c test can be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in two different ways, LabTestsOnline explains. Most commonly it is used to monitor how well a diabetic's blood sugar is being controlled. Because A1c and blood sugar levels are related, a gradual decline in a patient's blood sugar means that the treatments being used to treat diabetes are working. HbA1c can also be used as a way to screen or test for diabetes.
A1c Vs. Blood Glucose
A1c differs from standard blood glucose tests because it is an indirect method of measuring blood glucose levels, according to the National Diabetes Education Program. Hemoglobin molecules are broken down and replaced every three months, which means that a patient's A1c levels represent the average amount of glucose in the blood for the past three months. This makes A1c testing less prone to daily fluctuation than tests that measure blood glucose directly, as blood glucose levels can rise and fall based on when and what the patient has last eaten, the patient's overall health and stress.
Testing Frequency
Unlike blood glucose monitoring, which diabetics often receive several times per day, A1c tests do not need to be done as frequently. The Mayo Clinic explains that patients with type 2 diabetes who have good blood sugar control and do not use insulin only need to have the test done twice a year. Patients with type 1 diabetes should have the test performed three to four times per year. Type 2 diabetics with poor blood sugar control or who use insulin to control their diabetes should also receive the test four times per year.
A1c Levels
A1c test results are given as a percentage of the hemoglobin molecules in the sample that are of the A1c variety. The NDEP explains that for most people, less than 6 percent of their hemoglobin molecules are HbA1c. In general, diabetics should have an A1c level of 7 percent or less; levels higher than that are associated with blood glucose levels that are high enough to cause complications of diabetes, such as nerve damage, eye problems and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This is especially important for pregnant women because having a lower A1c level increases the likelihood of having a healthy baby.
