You have been diagnosed with diabetes and suddenly you are told that you have to monitor your blood sugar. So far, you have learned what your daily target range is and you think that you are doing well but now your doctor is ordering something called an diabetes-a1c blood sugar test HbA1C (or A1C) or A1C blood sugar is also called “glycated Protein” or “glycosylated hemoglobin” or glycohemoglobin is a blood test that measures how much sugar is sticking to your red blood cells. The amount of sugar that sticks to your red blood cells gives your doctor a good indication of how much sugar has been floating around in your blood stream for the past three months. It lets your doctor know what your blood sugar health is. The higher the reading of your A1C level, the more amount of sugar has been floating around in your bloodstream.

How is your diabetes-a1c blood sugar tested?

Your blood is drawn in a laboratory. The blood test just requires one small tube of blood. For this particular test, you don’t even have to fast (meaning not having anything to eat or drink 8 hours prior to the test)

The normal range is of a diabetes-a1c level is 4-5.9 %. In someone with poorly controlled diabetes (meaning a person who has had a hard time keeping their blood sugars within a normal range) the A1C will be 8.0% or above. In those people with diabetes who are able to keep their blood sugar levels within normal range most of the time, the blood level range is less than 7.0%. The reason why your doctor will order an A1C blood test every three months is that it gives your doctor an accurate view of what has been happening with your general blood sugar levels over the previous three months.

It’s important for you to know what your current diabetes-a1c levels are. Knowing what your A1C level is gives you a good indication if you are on the right track in balancing your sugar intake, your activity level and whether you are receiving the right amount of your diabetes medications. Good control of your A1C level can help you minimize the risk of long term complications from diabetes such as cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation.