What Is A1C Test And How Does It Work?

Managing diabetes involves using numbers a lot. For instance, tracking your blood sugar levels using a meter or a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) provides you with information on where your blood sugar levels are at a certain moment in time.

 When you see your doctor on a regular basis, your doctor will check your blood pressure and monitor your cholesterol to determine how well your heart is doing. Your A1C is a second figure that is important to be aware of. As part of "knowing your numbers," make sure you are aware of your A1C level, what it represents, and what to do if it is not within goal.

A1C blood tests are frequently used to identify both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, the test is also used to assess how effectively you control your blood sugar levels. Glycated hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1C, or HbA1c test are other names for the A1C test.

The results of an A1C test show your average blood sugar level over the previous two to three months. The A1C test specifically calculates the proportion of hemoglobin proteins that are coated with sugar (glycated) in your blood. Red blood cells include hemoglobin proteins, which carry oxygen.

Your blood sugar management is worse and your chance of developing diabetes complications increases as your A1C level rises.

The A1C is useful for understanding your blood glucose and overall degree of diabetes management. 

Other names for this number include:

• A1C hemoglobin
• HbA1c
• hemoglobin glycated
• hemoglobin with glycosylation
• A1C glycohemoglobin

Please don't be confused by the term "hemoglobin," by the way. Red blood cells contain the protein hemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. As part of a complete blood count (CBC), your doctor may request a hemoglobin test to help identify anemia, sickle cell anemia, inadequate iron intake, infection, or blood loss. Hemoglobin A, whose "A" stands for "adult," is the most prevalent kind of hemoglobin and makes up over 97% of all red blood cell hemoglobin.

Using a test called hemoglobin A1C, one may determine how much glucose, or sugar, is bound to hemoglobin in red blood cells. Over a three-month period, the A1C will increase in proportion to blood sugar levels. Due to the lengthy lifespan of red blood cells, this test is frequently performed every three months.

If you have diabetes, your doctor or a diabetes educator could recommend routine A1C checks. Depending on the kind of diabetes you have and how well you treat your diabetes, this may be every three months or even every six months. The risk of long-term consequences from diabetes, such as heart disease, kidney disease, nerve and eye disorders, increases with the A1C level.

Why is the A1c test used?

Your doctor or another medical professional may benefit from the results of an A1C test since they can:

Diagnose prediabetes. Your risk of acquiring diabetes and cardiovascular disease is increased if you have prediabetes.

For diabetes types 1 and type 2 to diagnosed. Your doctor would likely examine the results of two blood tests performed on various days, such as two A1C tests or the A1C test plus another test, such as a fasting or random blood sugar test, to confirm a diagnosis of diabetes.

Follow your diabetic treatment schedule. Your baseline A1C level is established with the aid of an initial A1C test result. To keep track of your diabetes treatment regimen, the test is then done often.

What to expect:

In order to collect a blood sample for the A1C test, a member of your medical team must either prick the tip of your finger with a tiny, pointed lancet or put a needle into a vein in your arm. The blood sample is submitted to a lab for examination if it is drawn from a vein.

Your doctor's office has the capability of doing same-day analyses on blood drawn from a finger prick. Only your treatment plan will be monitored by this in-office test; neither a diagnostic nor a screening will be performed.

A1C Test Results

Results of the A1C test are presented in percentages. Higher average blood sugar levels are correlated with a higher A1C percentage. 

The following is how results for a diagnosis are interpreted:

• Normal is 5.7% or less.
• Prediabetes has a diagnosis rate of 5.7% to 6.4%.
• Diabetes is diagnosed when two tests show a 6.5% or higher level.

An A1C score of less than 7% is a standard treatment goal for most persons with diabetes. For certain persons, lower or higher aims may be suitable.

The goal of fewer than 7% is linked to a decreased risk of complications from diabetes. Your doctor could suggest modifying your diabetes treatment plan if your A1C result is higher than the recommended threshold.

The results of an A1C test can also be used to assess how effectively your diabetes is being treated and if your treatment strategy needs to be modified in order to help avoid long-term issues. This is why it's crucial to have your A1C level evaluated every three months or as often as your doctor advises.