HbA1C Test
HbA1C Test (Glycosylated Hemoglobin)
- HbA1C Test is meant to measure the average blood sugar level over the last 2-3 months.
- No special preparation is required for HbA1C Test
- This test would provide two values – Average Blood Sugar & HbA1C
What is HbA1c; Test or GLYCATED HEMOGLOBIN TEST ?
HbA1c Test also called Glycated hemoglobin test gives the average sugar level in the body over a period of 2 to 3 months. When we consume food, it gets digested in the stomach and sugar is released in the blood. This sugar has to reach the different cells of the body and burn there with the help of insulin and oxygen. Patients who are suffering from diabetes are not able to burn sugar due to lack of insulin or due to insulin resistance. The sugar remains in the blood itself and this gets measured when we do the blood sugar test. However the blood sugar test gives us the value of sugar in the blood at that point of time. Blood contains Hemoglobin which is used to carry oxygen from the lungs to the cells. The sugar in the blood gets attached to some of the hemoglobin cells and renders them useless for carrying oxygen.
How HbA1C Test is Done
In the HbA1C Test, we measure the percentage of hemoglobin cells which are covered by sugar and are therefore not capable of carrying oxygen. Hemoglobin is a protein within the red blood cells. Since the life of RBC is 2-3 months we are able to find the average sugar value over 2-3 months by measuring HbA1C. This test is far more informative than the normal blood sugar test as the value of blood sugar varies depending on the food that we consume few hours before the test.
Reported Parameters
- Estimated Average Glucose
- HbA1C
All The Questions that you might have
- What is HbA1C Test ?
- What does the HbA1c test measure?
- Why should I do the HbA1c test?
- How is the HbA1c test done?
- How does HbA1c differ from a blood glucose level?
- How often HbA1c levels should be checked?
The HbA1c test is a useful and simple blood test that can be used to diagnose diabetes and also to monitor blood glucose control in people with known diabetes.
This test evaluates the average amount of glucose in the blood over the last 2 to 3 months. It’s also called haemoglobin A1c, glycated haemoglobin, and glycosylated haemoglobin.
Managing the levels of HbA1C goes a long way in preventing the complications of diabetes like Heart Disease, Kidney disease, stroke etc.
As we all know, glucose is the sugar present in the blood. When the amount of glucose is more in the blood, the more it binds to haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body.
The HbA1c test measures how much glucose is bound to the haemoglobin.
HbA1c readings are reported as a percentage and can be interpreted as below:
HbA1c Level Indication
Less than 5.7% Normal
5.7% to 6.4% Prediabetes
>= 6.5% Diabetes
Your doctor will recommend you to take the HbA1c test, if you suffer from some specific symptoms. The common symptoms are:
- Increased thirst
- Increased urination
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing wounds
The HbA1c test is a simple blood test with no need for fasting before the test. The blood sample can be taken by the phlebotomist at a pathology lab. The test is done on a machine call glycohemoglobin analyzer. The test takes less than 1 minute to complete at Maurya Labs.
HbA1c provides a longer-term trend, similar to an average, of how high the blood sugar levels have been over a period of time whereas blood glucose level is the concentration of glucose in the blood at a single point in time. HbA1C will provide the average sugar levels over 24 hour period for the last 8-12 weeks. There are times of the day when your sugar levels are high and at other times they are low. If the average sugar levels are high then it means that your sugar control is not good.
HbA1c levels may be checked every three months until a person with diabetes reaches the treatment goals.
People with diabetes who are meeting treatment goals and have stable blood control are recommended to check their HbA1c levels every six months.
