HbA1C - A1C Blood Sugar

HbA1C (or A1C) or A1C blood sugar is also called "glycated Protein" or "glycosylated hemoglobin" or glycohemoglobin. So what do these strange set of names and acronyms actually mean?

Here is an explanation in simple terms. Sugar sticks, and when sugar had been around for a long time, it's harder to get it off. (Ever try to get dried sugar granules washed off the bottom of a coffee cup?) In the body, sugar sticks too, particularly to proteins. A red blood cell is mostly made up of protein. The red blood cells that circulate in your body live for about three months before they die. A1C is a blood test that measures how much sugar is sticking to your red blood cells. The amount of sugar that sticks to your red blood cells gives us a good indication of how much sugar has been floating around in your blood stream for the past three months. It lets us know what your blood sugar health is.The higher the reading of your A1C level, the more amount of sugar has been floating around in your bloodstream.

Your blood is drawn in a laboratory. The blood test just requires one small tube of blood. For this particular test, you don't even have to fast (meaning not having anything to eat or drink 8 hours prior to the test) It takes approximately 3 days before your blood test results come back and then you can discuss the results with your doctor.

In most labs, the normal range is of an A1C level is 4-5.9 %. In someone with poorly controlled diabetes (meaning a person who has had a hard time keeping their blood sugars within a normal range) the A1C will be 8.0% or above. In those people with diabetes who are able to keep their blood sugar levels within normal range most of the time, the blood level range is less than 7.0%. The reason why your doctor will order an A1C blood test every three months is that it gives your doctor an accurate view of what has been happening with your general blood sugar levels over the previous three months.

Good control of your A1C level can help you minimize the risk of long term complications from diabetes such as cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke), blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation.

It's important for you to know what your current A1C levels are. Knowing what your A1C level is gives you a good indication if you are on the right track in balancing your sugar intake, your activity level and whether you are receiving the right amount of your diabetes medications. When you go to your doctor, ask your doctor what your last A1C level was. Keep track of all your levels. You will over time discover what works for you in managing your blood sugar. Remember, you are in the driver's seat when it comes to managing your diabetes. Your physician and health care professionals are just the navigators that can point you in the right direction to reach your destination - healthy living with diabetes.