Why the A1c Check is Important For Your Diabetes
What is the A1c test? The A1c test is also known as glycosylated haemoglobin test or HbA1c test.
The test is for Type 2 Diabetics and is used to check how well your diabetes has been controlled over 3 months.
The result is usually expressed as a percentage.
Why is A1c important? If you have Type 2 Diabetes then checking your A1c can tell you how well your treatment is working and also how well your diabetes is controlled.
Checking blood glucose with a glucometer is an important part of monitoring diabetes.
A blood glucose check will give a result of what blood glucose levels are at a particular point in time.
This can mean, on the same day, a reading can be different from first thing in the morning, before food, to a reading at lunch, after food, when blood glucose will be higher.
With a A1c test you will get a picture of how well your blood glucose has been controlled over 3 months, almost like an average.
What does it mean? The A1c test is an important test for judging how well the diabetes is actually been controlled with either diet or medicines.
Sometimes a person may be monitoring their blood sugars with a standard blood glucose meter and find that they may have "bad days" where blood glucose is higher then the target range set for them.
With the A1c test you may well find that these bad days are occurring too often and a doctor can get an idea whether these "bad days" are significant enough to alter treatment.
What should I aim to get my A1c level to? The "ideal" number to aim for is 6.
5% but this is not always possible.
Your target is the number agreed with your doctor and it is important to maintain that target.
Your aim should be to do what you can to keep the A1c as low as possible.
What can happen if my A1c levels are not controlled? If your A1c levels are not controlled there is a greater chance of experiencing complications with your diabetes.
The key problem areas that this can result in are: Heart - too high blood glucose can damage the vessels that lead blood to the heart causing poor circulation and could lead to problems like heart attacks and stroke.
Eyes - can lead to blindness.
Read our article on diabetic retinopathy to learn more.
Kidneys - can cause damage to the kidneys and many are forced to have dialysis.
Read our article on diabetes and kidneys to learn more.
These are some of the main complications to learn more visit Diabetes Complications.
What can I do to help control my A1c? Knowledge is very important.
By monitoring your diabetes regularly with a blood glucose meter you can highlight any readings above the target range agreed by your doctor and then discuss with your doctor.
It may be, if you spot a problem early, be possible to control the cause.
Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise can play an important role.
This is something you can work on yourself.
Visit diabetes and food to help you learn more.
Checking your A1c with your doctor every 6 months will give you a good indication on how you have been controlling your diabetes.
Again, knowledge of your levels can help you and your doctor take action.
Perhaps treatment change is required or perhaps more work is required with lifestyle changes.
Your doctor will tell you what next to do.
The important thing is to know your A1c and blood glucose levels so that you can act if you need to.
The test is for Type 2 Diabetics and is used to check how well your diabetes has been controlled over 3 months.
The result is usually expressed as a percentage.
Why is A1c important? If you have Type 2 Diabetes then checking your A1c can tell you how well your treatment is working and also how well your diabetes is controlled.
Checking blood glucose with a glucometer is an important part of monitoring diabetes.
A blood glucose check will give a result of what blood glucose levels are at a particular point in time.
This can mean, on the same day, a reading can be different from first thing in the morning, before food, to a reading at lunch, after food, when blood glucose will be higher.
With a A1c test you will get a picture of how well your blood glucose has been controlled over 3 months, almost like an average.
What does it mean? The A1c test is an important test for judging how well the diabetes is actually been controlled with either diet or medicines.
Sometimes a person may be monitoring their blood sugars with a standard blood glucose meter and find that they may have "bad days" where blood glucose is higher then the target range set for them.
With the A1c test you may well find that these bad days are occurring too often and a doctor can get an idea whether these "bad days" are significant enough to alter treatment.
What should I aim to get my A1c level to? The "ideal" number to aim for is 6.
5% but this is not always possible.
Your target is the number agreed with your doctor and it is important to maintain that target.
Your aim should be to do what you can to keep the A1c as low as possible.
What can happen if my A1c levels are not controlled? If your A1c levels are not controlled there is a greater chance of experiencing complications with your diabetes.
The key problem areas that this can result in are: Heart - too high blood glucose can damage the vessels that lead blood to the heart causing poor circulation and could lead to problems like heart attacks and stroke.
Eyes - can lead to blindness.
Read our article on diabetic retinopathy to learn more.
Kidneys - can cause damage to the kidneys and many are forced to have dialysis.
Read our article on diabetes and kidneys to learn more.
These are some of the main complications to learn more visit Diabetes Complications.
What can I do to help control my A1c? Knowledge is very important.
By monitoring your diabetes regularly with a blood glucose meter you can highlight any readings above the target range agreed by your doctor and then discuss with your doctor.
It may be, if you spot a problem early, be possible to control the cause.
Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise can play an important role.
This is something you can work on yourself.
Visit diabetes and food to help you learn more.
Checking your A1c with your doctor every 6 months will give you a good indication on how you have been controlling your diabetes.
Again, knowledge of your levels can help you and your doctor take action.
Perhaps treatment change is required or perhaps more work is required with lifestyle changes.
Your doctor will tell you what next to do.
The important thing is to know your A1c and blood glucose levels so that you can act if you need to.
