HbA1c Test

HbA1c Test Latest News

A new study has found that glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a laboratory test commonly used in India for detecting type-2 diabetes, may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels.

About HbA1c Test

• A hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) test is a blood test that shows your average level of blood glucose, also called blood sugar, over the past two to three months.
  • Glucose is a type of sugar in your blood that comes from the foods you eat. Your cells use glucose for energy. 
  • A hormone called insulin helps glucose get into your cells. 
  • If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or your cells don’t use it well. 
  • As a result, glucose can’t get into your cells, so your blood glucose levels increase.
  • Glucose in your blood sticks to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells (RBCs). 
  • As your blood glucose levels increase, more of your hemoglobin will be coated with glucose. 
• An A1C test measures the percentage of your RBCs that have glucose-coated hemoglobin.
• An A1C test can show your average glucose level for the past three months because:
  • Glucose sticks to hemoglobin for as long as the RBCs are alive.
  • RBCs live about three months.
• High A1C levels are a sign of high blood glucose from diabetes. 
• Diabetes can cause serious health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage. 
• But with treatment and lifestyle changes, you can control your blood glucose levels.

Source: ET

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