Of these, type 2 is the most common by far, affecting nine out of 10 Americans with diabetes. There are several types of diabetes - type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes (diabetes that happens during pregnancy) being the main ones. There’s no specific prep required for an HbA1c test, but since it’s often combined with other types of tests, you might end up fasting before giving your blood sample. While there are other methods of measuring glucose that can show a snapshot of blood sugar, HbA1c provides a more comprehensive picture. Here’s the extra-cool part: red blood cells live for about three months in the bloodstream, so an HbA1c test gives a three-month average of your blood sugar level. HbA1c testing measures the percentage of glycated hemoglobin proteins in your blood. When glucose builds up in the bloodstream, it binds to hemoglobin and creates glycated (i.e., saturated with glucose) hemoglobin proteins. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells its role is to carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. What is an HbA1c test and how does it work?Īn HbA1c test is a simple blood test that measures your average blood glucose level over a period of time by looking at hemoglobin. If your healthcare provider suspects that you’re at risk for diabetes, they may suggest HbA1c testing, as it can help diagnose and manage both prediabetes and diabetes. This is where hemoglobin A1c (also known as HbA1c, or sometimes just A1c) testing comes in. But before you can reduce your blood sugar level, you’ll need to know what it is. ³ĭespite the high rates of diagnosis, there’s good news: if you have prediabetes, and possibly even if you have diabetes, you may be able to improve your blood sugar level with healthy lifestyle changes. In some younger women, elevated HbA1c is also associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). If left untreated, both prediabetes and diabetes can lead to serious health complications, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, nerve and kidney damage, certain cancers and premature death. In a given year, more than 37 million diabetic Americans have already been diagnosed, 8.5 million remain undiagnosed, and another 96 million are living with prediabetes, ¹² an earlier stage on the disease spectrum that is characterized by higher-than-normal blood sugar levels. Nearly half of all Americans have some form of diabetes, whether they know it or not.

Hemoglobin a1c normal range male