HbA1c Explained – Diabetics Signs Symptoms
HbA1c Explained
HbA1c is a test that reflects your average Blood Sugar (glucose) levels for the past 3 months.
Every time you take your blood sugar reading at home it is like taking a snap shot, telling you what your glucose level is at that specific point and time. It does not however tell you what has happen in-between you testing period or during the night while you were sleeping.
What is HbA1c
>Haemoglobin (hb) is a protein found inside the red cells of the bloodstream
>Its function is to carry oxygen around the body
>HbA is a measure of how much glucose is being made by the bone marrow ( over a 120day period)
How does it work
>Glucose in the blood stream binds to haemoglobin
>This happens in small amounts. When there is a high concentration of glucose in the blood
>over time more Glucose will bind to the haemoglobin
By looking at the amount of glucose bound to haemoglobin , it gives a picture of the Glucose control over the last 2-3 mounths
-A higher result reflects a hinger average Glucose concentration
Ranges for HbA1c
- 4-5% to 9% is for “normal” peoples without diabetes.
- 6% to 7% is ideal for people with diabetes
- Above 7% entering the risk area for long-term complications
- Below 6% is the Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) zone
The above are only guides you have to talk to your health professional and to make these figures personalized for you. At this point your health professional will bring in another abbreviation namely – eAg
eAg stands for estimated average glucose levels. It is basically the same as HbA1c just more individualized.
All diabetics should have an HbA1c test done routinely every 6 months . In the following situations it should be done more often( at least every 3 months)-
- Target not met
- Change in treatment
- If pregnant or thinking about conceiving
- Insulin pump
- In the very young
It just feel like I am going to the school principles office everytime I go for my HbA1c test.
Pine Pienaar Info
Source; Diabetes Lifestyle 1 – Vanessa Brown
PS: In South Africa we use milimol per litre (mmol/l) to measure plasmatic level of glucose (sugar) in our system (body)
In the United States they use milligram per deciliter (mg/dl) to measure Blood sugar levels.
To compare one against the another is easy, you only use 18 to multiply or dived.
Do the calculation as follows
18 x 5 mmol/l = 90 mg/ dl (US result)
89 mg/ dl – 18 = 4.9 mmol/l (SA result
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September 18th, 2011 at 19:45