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FAQs about the Hemoglobin A1c Blood Test
Is hba1c the same as a1c?
Yes, HbA1c and A1c are both acronyms for the glycohemoglobin test, or hemoglobin A1c test.
What does the term a1c stand for?
A1c is a short form for the hemoglobin A1c test and the letters are for the type of hemoglobin that binds glucose. See full explanation of what does a1c stand for?
Similar Qs: what is the meaning of A1c in the medical terms?
What's a HEMOGLOBIN A1C test?
The Hemoglobin A1c Test is a routine diabetes test for:
- Measure of the overall blood glucose levels for the past period of time (2‐3 months).
- What percentage of your hemoglobin that is coated with sugar (medical term: become glycated). The higher the A1c% the higher the DM risk.
What does an a1c blood test show?
A1c blood test shows the average blood sugar/glucose level over the 3 months prior to the test.
and shows the effectiveness of DM treatment over the same period of time.
Is hemoglobin A1c test valid for type 1 or type 2 diabetes?
A1c blood test is routinely performed in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus as well.
nevertheless, may be not a valid diagnostic test for children with low anemia level.
Is HbA1C a fasting test?
You don't need to fast before hgb A1c blood test and the A1c test will not be affected if you're fasting or not.
The reason is that the A1c depends on the average life span of red blood cells and average carried glucose on them,
but not on the diet contents or body metabolism. Go to this page to know what are the Fasting blood tests?
However a fasting blood glucose test require a minimum of 6 hours fasting before taking the sample.
You should know that the new guidelines do not recommend replacing traditional DM screening with the A1C test.
Other similar questions: Do you have to fast for a a1c?
How often should you have an A1C test?
Similar questions:
- How often do you check hemoglobin a1c?
- when to take A1c blood test?
The typical answer: After the new guidelines by American Diabetes Association ;
an ordinary person (who's meeting the treatment goals and have stable blood sugar levels) needs to check A1C level "twice a year at a minimum or more frequently as become necessary".
That's because the fact "the A1C test measures your average blood glucose control in the preceding 2 - 3 months"
However, for diabetes patients may need to test two to four times for A1c level a year until they reach the blood glucose target level.
Go to: when is the best time to to blood tests?
How Do I Check Hemoglobin A1c at Home?
Other similar questions: How do you measure for diabetes?, How do you figure out your a1c?
- Washing your hands.
- Insert a test strip into your A1c meter.
- Get a drop of blood by Using your lancing device on the side of your fingertip.
- Touch with holding the edge of the test strip to the drop of blood, and wait for device to show the result.
- Your can show A1c level appear on the meter's display.
How accurate is the a1c blood test?
Accuracy of A1c test depends on the assay that will be used:
- Medical laboratories may use immunofluorescence (IF) techniques to measure the A1c level, the IF method is very accurate.
- The At-home-meters may have standard deviation of +0.5% or -0.5%, it means that A1c of 6 on the A1c meter may indicate a range from 5.5 to 6.5.
When to receive Hemoglobin A1c results?
For medical laboratories you may wait up to 1 hour before receiving HgbA1c results.
However, HBA1C meters can take only 10 minutes to show A1c reading.
Go to: list of waiting time for blood tests
What do Hemoglobin A1c Test Results mean?
To find out what do the a1c numbers mean?
How long does it take to get the results of an a1c test?
Most small laboratories can take up to 48 hours to finish your A1c results,
nevertheless, the average-sized and large labs can afford A1c results in about one hour only after specimen collection.
What is the meaning of Prediabetes?
As described by ADA and other diabetes experts;
The Prediabetes Stage includes initial markers and signs of diabetes without visual symptoms and the blood test results may be as follows:
- fasting blood glucose 100 to 126.
- 2h post-prandial glucose level less than 200 and over 140.
- A1c levels from 5.8 - 6.4 %.
What does it mean if my a1c is 6.1?
A1c 6.1 makes the initial diagnosis of diabetes mellitus which is called Pre-diabetes as stated by ADA.
Is a glycated sugar level of 6.5 high?
A1c 6.5 on two separate occasions means your are on the first step of diabetes and have to get an early control program or firstly test for FBG and 2h GTT.
Is an a1c of 5.4 good?
Yes, it means you never had diabetes according to ADA recommendations for the last two years.
What does A1c level 14 mean?
A1c 14% is considered extremely high and may be seen more in children with type 1 DM.
If your'e adult and diagnosed with type 2 then you have eAG of about 350 mg/dl which is very bad.
FAQ about Normal A1c Levels?
To know what is the normal A1c level?
What should a HbA1c be?
A1c from 4% to 5.7 is normal and means you're not diabetic at all.
Regardless of whether it's type 1 or type 2:
The good A1c results are those below 5.7 for people who aren't under diabetes risk, and below 7% for DM type 2 patients and below 8 for type 1 DM.
The higher your A1C percentage, the poorer your blood sugar control and the higher your risk of diabetes severity.
Other questions for the same topic and have the same answer:
- what is a good A1c result?,
- and ,what should A1C be?,
- what is the best a1c number?,
- or, what is a good score for a1c?,
- What is a good range for hemoglobin a1c?
What is a good a1c for a Type 1 diabetes?
A1c for a Type 1 diabetes and at childhood below 19 years is lower than 7.5% as recommends by ADA.
Previously was controlled by BG level.
What does it mean when your a1c levels are elevated?
A1c level over 6.5 on two separate dates indicates diabetes indicates DM while A1c over 7 indicates poor diabetes control.
FAQs about estimated average glucose
Estimated average glucose is a calculated value from the A1c using some sort of equations.
What is a good estimated average glucose level?
eAG Target levels is A1c value dependent. For non-diabetes persons, the normal range for an A1c is between 4% and 6%.
This number is the percentage of glucose attached to red blood cells.
From the A1c charts the A1c 4-6% is corresponding to eAG between 70 and 126 mg/dl.
Click here for estimated average glucose chart and estimated average glucose calculator.
If you need the answers about:
What is normal average glucose?, What is the average reading for blood sugar?
go to Blood Glucose Levels Chart for diagnosis diabetic and non-diabetic
How To Lower A1c?
Follow these easy steps to bring your A1c levels down effectively.
How to Lower A1c Without Medications?
Changing your life style and daily habits would improve blood glucose management and appear in low A1c results.
Similar Questions with the same reply:
- How to bring Hgb A1c down naturally fast?
- Can A1c levels be normal without the need to treatment?
- How can A1c be normal from its own?
- How do I lower my a1c quickly?
Usual answer: Five guidelines to follow:
- It's effective to do some exercises 30 minutes a day or every other day.
- Well integrated meals can boost your sugar control system and lower A1c at the end.
- sufficient sleeping hours (6 - 8 hours) especially at night can help treatment plan to get results.
- Frequent medical check up can help reduce high A1c complications which include heart and kidney injuries.
- Herbal tea and other herbs can help save the jidney and heart from high A1c effect.
How long does it take for your a1c to go down?
Similar to this Q:
How long does it take for an A1c to come down?
Answer: For a person who stick to a schedule and follow the treatment plan tightly;
- A1c level less than 7 in type 2 DM can take less than a month to bring them down to 6 or even lesser.
- Hgb A1c more than 8 in type 2 DM can take more than 2 months to control.
- For type 1 DM it can take up to a year to lower A1c of 12% to 7.5%.
How fast can you lower your a1c?
Other question formats:
How to get your a1c down rapidly?
Consuming more fiber in fruits and vegetables instead of juices can slow down glucose absorption by the body, thus how can fibrous meals can maintain good sugar level.
Can losing weight lower your a1c?
Yes, losing weight can reduce A1c readings over time, but losing weight with balanced meals of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and lean meats as well as physical exercises.
The fact behind effectiveness of weight loss to lower A1c is that it reduce other factors that increase the risks such as high triglycerides and obesity.
What supplements lower a1c?
Supplements for reducing A1c include:
- B-complex vitamins and its rich nutrients, assist methylation process with help regulate blood sugar level.
- Berberine: Anti-diabetic herbs.
- Alpha lipoic acid (ALA): enhances the body's ability to use insulin to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes.
- Resveratrol: Found in peanuts, pistachios, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and dark chocolate.
- Coconut oil: a super food help convert the LDL “bad” cholesterol into good cholesterol "HDL".
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Found in nuts and seeds and is a super food.
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10): dissolve fats and you can found it inside meats such as liver, kidney, and heart, as well as in beef.
- Magnesium.
Can you cheat an a1c test?
Yes, A1c results can be cheated in order to abuse medical records, but we urge you don;t follow those bad schemes.
What to do if A1c levels of 8.0% or above?
May indicate that tighter control of blood glucose levels is required.
Resources for Diabetes and hemoglobin A1c test:
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Find a Diabetes Educator
American Diabetes Association "ADA"
National Institutes of Health
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
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