What is the Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) Test?

About Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) Test

• It is one of the most commonly-used tests to diagnose pre-diabetes and diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) and to help manage diabetes.
• It is also known as the glycated haemoglobin or glycosylated haemoglobin test.
• Hemoglobin is the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.
• It is an important blood test that gives a good indication of how well your diabetes is being controlled.

How does the test work?

• Sugar enters your bloodstream from the food you eat. The sugar, or glucose, attaches to the haemoglobin in your red blood cells. Haemoglobin is a protein that transports oxygen to all the cells of your body.
• Everybody has some sugar attached to their haemoglobin. Those with pre-diabetes and diabetes, however, have more.
• The HbA1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated, or glycated, haemoglobin.

What is Diabetes?

• It is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas can no longer make insulin, or the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces.
• Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose.
• Not being able to produce or use insulin effectively leads to raised glucose levels in the blood, known as hyperglycaemia.
• Over the long-term high glucose levels are associated with damage to the body and failure of various organs and tissues.
• Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation.

Q1) What is Insulin?

It is a hormone that regulates blood glucose. Not being able to produce or use insulin effectively leads to raised glucose levels in the blood, known as hyperglycaemia. Over the long-term high glucose levels are associated with damage to the body and failure of various organs and tissues.

Source: What is the HbA1C test and why is it used to check for diabetes? | Explained