Repeat the A1C test as often as your doctor recommends, usually every 1 to 2 years. → If your result shows you have prediabetes, talk to your doctor about taking steps now to improve your health and lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. → If your result is normal but you’re over 45, have risk factors, or have ever had gestational diabetes, repeat the A1C test every 3 years. Get a baseline A1C test if you’re an adult over age 45-or if you’re under 45, are overweight, and have one or more risk factors for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes: The A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin. Everybody has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but people with higher blood sugar levels have more. When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. An A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have glucose-coated hemoglobin. As your blood glucose levels increase, more of your hemoglobin will be coated with glucose. Glucose in your blood sticks to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. As a result, glucose can't get into your cells, so your blood sugar levels increase. If you have diabetes your body doesn't make enough insulin, or your cells don't use it well. A hormone called insulin helps glucose get into your cells. Glucose is a type of sugar in your blood that comes from the foods you eat. But with treatment and lifestyle changes, you can control your blood glucose levels. Diabetes can cause serious health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage.
→ High A1C levels are a sign of high blood glucose from diabetes. → Red blood cells live about three months. → Glucose sticks to hemoglobin for as long as the red blood cells are alive. Higher A1C levels are linked to diabetes complications, so reaching and maintaining your individual A1C goal is really important if you have diabetes.Īn A1C test can show your average glucose level for the past three months because:
It’s one of the commonly used tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, and is also the main test to help you and your health care team manage your diabetes. The A1C test-also known as the hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c test-is a simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. → Average blood sugar levels over past 3 months Other names: HbA1C, A1C, glycohemoglobin, glycated hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin
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