HbA1C – It is a blood test to detect your average blood sugar in the past 2 to 3 months.
It is usually done
- To diagnose diabetes.
- To check if the treatment given is adequate in controlling the sugar levels. It is abbreviated as HbA1C.
Normal Levels — it varies accordingly as
For diagnosing diabetes –
- If A1C was done to check if you have diabetes, your A1C should be 6 or lesser.
- If your A1C is 6.5 or higher, it indicates you have diabetes. If your A1C is between 5.7 and 6.4, you maybe at risk for
You should adopt measures to prevent Diabetes. Example – Diet control and regular exercise.
To check progress of treatment –If you are already on diabetic medicines and you had an HbA1C test to know your sugar control,your A1C should be 7 or less.
Frequency of HbA1C test — This depends on whether you are a diabetic or not.
- If A1C test was done to check for diabetes and your A1C was less than 5.7 , you may get A1C tests done every 3 years.
- If A1C test was done to check for diabetes and your A1C was between 5.7 and 6.4 , you should get A1C tests done every year.
- If you are a diabetic and your blood sugar is under good control, you should get A1C tests every 6 months.
- If you are a diabetic and you have recently changed treatment or your sugar levels are not under control, you should have A1C tests every 3 months.
Importance of HbA1C — Many Studies reveal that having an HbA1C close to normal prevents complications such as:
- Diabetic retinopathy( Eye disease)
- Diabetic Neuropathy ( Nerve damage )
- Diabetic Nephropathy (Kidney disease )
- Stroke and Heart attack prevention.
