5 Ways To Lower Your A1c
For some, home blood sugar testing can be an important and useful tool for managing your blood sugar on a day-to-day basis. Still, it only provides a snapshot of what’s happening in the moment, not long-term information, says Gregory Dodell, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine, endocrinology, diabetes, and bone disease at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City. For this reason, your doctor may occasionally administer a blood test that measures your average blood sugar level over the past two to three months. Called the A1C test, or the hemoglobin A1C test, this provides a more accurate picture of how well your type 2 diabetes management plan is working. Taking the A1C Test If your diabetes is well controlled and your blood sugar levels have remained stable, the American Diabetes Association recommends that you have the A1C test two times each year. This simple blood draw can be done in your doctor's office. Some doctors can use a point-of-care A1C test, where a finger stick can be done in the office, with results available in about 10 minutes. The A1C test results provide insight into how your treatment plan is working, and how it might be modified to better control the condition. Your doctor may want to run the test as often as every three months if your A1C is not within your target range. What the A1C Results Mean The A1C test measures the glucose (blood sugar) in your blood by assessing the amount of what’s called glycated hemoglobin. “Hemoglobin is a protein within red blood cells. As glucose enters the bloodstream, it binds to hemoglobin, or glycates. The more glucose that enters the bloodstream, the higher the amount of glycated hemoglobin,” Dr. Dodell says. An A1C level below 5.7 percent is considered normal. An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 perce Continue reading >>
A1c Is Better Screening Test For Diabetes
Dear Dr. Roach • My A1c test on blood sugar is always higher (prediabetes) than my fasting glucose test (normal) on the same visit to the doctor. Which result should I believe? My latest test at a doctor’s office showed that my A1c is 6.2 percent, and fasting glucose is 88 mg/dL. The A1c pretty much remained at 6.2 percent level, while the fasting glucose varied between 81 and 88 in the past two years. The test is drawing a blood sample after a 12-hour overnight fast. I am not taking any diabetes medication. Previously, my A1c results were 5.9 percent in August 2016 and 5.5 percent in December 2016. — K.H. Answer • Both the A1c test and the glucose tests are blood tests for diabetes. The blood glucose test is a snapshot of an instant in time, while the A1c is a measure of the average value over the past two or three months or so. The A1c looks at the amount of sugar molecules on the large hemoglobin protein of the blood. In general, the A1c is a better screening test for diabetes than a fasting glucose test, because fasting blood sugar is normal for a long time (potentially years) before one shows overt diabetes. In early Type 2 diabetes, the only time the blood sugar gets above normal is after eating (the blood sugar is supposed to go up a bit after eating, but in the early stages of diabetes, it goes higher than it should). The most sensitive test for Type 2 diabetes is a glucose tolerance test, where a fixed amount of sugar is given, and the blood is tested after two hours. An elevated level at two hours is prediabetes or diabetes. However, the A1c, which is affected by both fasting blood glucose levels and those after eating, is nearly as sensitive, and is much easier to do. Both the glucose tolerance test and the A1c usually will diagnose prediabetes and di Continue reading >>
How To Lower Your A1c Levels: A Healthful Guide
An A1C blood test measures average blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3 months. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommend the use of A1C tests to help diagnose cases of prediabetes, type 1, and type 2 diabetes. A1C tests are also used to monitor diabetes treatment plans. What is an A1C test? An A1C test measures how well the body is maintaining blood glucose levels. To do this, an A1C test averages the percentage of sugar-bound hemoglobin in a blood sample. When glucose enters the blood, it binds to a red blood cell protein called hemoglobin. The higher blood glucose levels are, the more hemoglobin is bound. Red blood cells live for around 4 months, so A1C results reflect long-term blood glucose levels. A1C tests are done using blood obtained by a finger prick or blood draw. Physicians will usually repeat A1C tests before diagnosing diabetes. Initial A1C tests help physicians work out an individual's baseline A1C level for later comparison. How often A1C tests are required after diagnosis varies depending on the type of diabetes and management factors. Lowering A1C levels Many studies have shown that lowering A1C levels can help reduce the risk or intensity of diabetes complications. With type 1 diabetes, more controlled blood glucose levels are associated with reduced rates of disease progression. With type 2 diabetes, more controlled A1C levels have also been shown to reduce symptoms affecting the small arteries and nerves in the body. This influences eyesight and pain while decreasing complications. Long-term studies have also shown that early and intensive blood glucose control can reduce cardiovascular complications in people with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Even small changes in A1C levels can have big effects. The ADA recommend that maintaining fair control Continue reading >>
Dr. Jacqueline Gerhart: If You Have Prediabetes, Will You Get Diabetes?
Madison, Wisconsin - UW Health Family Medicine physician Jacqueline Gerhart writes a column that appears Tuesdays on madison.com and in the Wisconsin State Journal. Columns are re-published here with permission. Dear Dr. Gerhart: I was just told I have prediabetes. What are the chances I'm going to get full-blown diabetes? Dear Reader: I'm sorry to hear you have prediabetes, also known as impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. It is diagnosed in patients with elevated blood sugars that are not yet high enough to be considered diabetes. There are a few ways to test for diabetes. Fasting blood sugar: This can be done either by a traditional blood draw or by a finger prick. If the value is from 100 to 125 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), you are considered to have impaired fasting glucose. If it is greater than 126 mg/dL on two different occasions, you are diagnosed with diabetes. Two-hour oral glucose tolerance test: This test is done less frequently because you have to drink a sugary drink, then wait two hours before your blood is drawn. On this test, if your blood sugar is 140 to 199 mg/dL, you have impaired glucose tolerance. Greater than 200 mg/dL means diabetes. Hemoglobin A1C: This test is often used for both the diagnosis and the ongoing management of diabetes. If your value is 5.7 to 6.4 percent, you have prediabetes. Greater than 6.5 percent is diabetes. Having prediabetes does place you at a high risk of developing diabetes. For example, people with hemoglobin A1C values of 5.5 to 6.0 have a 9 to 25 percent chance of developing diabetes in five years. Those with values from 6.0 to 6.4 have a 25 to 50 percent chance, and they are 20 times more likely to develop diabetes than those with a normal hemoglobin A1C. Prediabetes is associated with card Continue reading >>
Diagnosis
Print The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that blood glucose screening for adults begin at age 45, or sooner if you are overweight and have additional risk factors for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. There are several blood tests for prediabetes. Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test This test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. Specifically, the test measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells (hemoglobin). The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with sugar attached. In general: An A1C level below 5.7 percent is considered normal An A1C level between 5.7 and 6.4 percent is considered prediabetes An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates type 2 diabetes Certain conditions can make the A1C test inaccurate — such as if you are pregnant or have an uncommon form of hemoglobin (hemoglobin variant). Fasting blood sugar test A blood sample is taken after you fast for at least eight hours or overnight. In general: A fasting blood sugar level below 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) — 5.6 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) — is considered normal. A fasting blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 7.0 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. This result is sometimes called impaired fasting glucose. A fasting blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or higher indicates type 2 diabetes. Oral glucose tolerance test This test is usually used to diagnose diabetes only during pregnancy. A blood sample is taken after you fast for at least eight hours or overnight. Then you'll drink a sugary solution, and your blood sugar level will be measured again after two hours. In general: A blood sugar level less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmo Continue reading >>
Prediabetes Symptoms And Diagnosis
What is prediabetes? About 41 million Americans between the ages of 40 and 74 have "prediabetes." Prediabetes is a condition that can be considered an early, yet potentially reversible stage of the development of type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is sometimes called impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose (IGT/IFG), depending upon the test that yielded the abnormal result. In prediabetes, a person's blood sugar (glucose) levels are slightly higher than the normal range, but not high enough for a true diagnosis of diabetes. People with prediabetes have a significant risk of developing full-blown diabetes. In the Diabetes Prevention Program study, about 11% of people with prediabetes developed type II diabetes each year during the three year follow-up time of the study. Importantly, people with prediabetes generally have no symptoms of the condition. Testing for Pre Diabetes Doctors generally use one of two different blood tests to diagnose diabetes and prediabetes. One is called the fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) in which a person's blood glucose level is measured first thing in the morning before breakfast. The normal fasting blood glucose level is below 100 mg/dl. A person with prediabetes has a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl. If the fasting blood glucose level is to 126 mg/dl or above, a person is considered to have diabetes. The second test used in the diagnosis of diabetes is the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), although this test is no longer commonly used as in the past. This test may be used to diagnose gestational diabetes in pregnant women. In this test, a person's blood glucose is measured in the morning after fasting overnight and again two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. The normal value for blood glucose Continue reading >>
The A1c Test & Diabetes
What is the A1C test? The A1C test is a blood test that provides information about a person’s average levels of blood glucose, also called blood sugar, over the past 3 months. The A1C test is sometimes called the hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c, or glycohemoglobin test. The A1C test is the primary test used for diabetes management and diabetes research. How does the A1C test work? The A1C test is based on the attachment of glucose to hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. In the body, red blood cells are constantly forming and dying, but typically they live for about 3 months. Thus, the A1C test reflects the average of a person’s blood glucose levels over the past 3 months. The A1C test result is reported as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher a person’s blood glucose levels have been. A normal A1C level is below 5.7 percent. Can the A1C test be used to diagnose type 2 diabetes and prediabetes? Yes. In 2009, an international expert committee recommended the A1C test as one of the tests available to help diagnose type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.1 Previously, only the traditional blood glucose tests were used to diagnose diabetes and prediabetes. Because the A1C test does not require fasting and blood can be drawn for the test at any time of day, experts are hoping its convenience will allow more people to get tested—thus, decreasing the number of people with undiagnosed diabetes. However, some medical organizations continue to recommend using blood glucose tests for diagnosis. Why should a person be tested for diabetes? Testing is especially important because early in the disease diabetes has no symptoms. Although no test is perfect, the A1C and blood glucose tests are the best tools available to diagnose diabetes—a serious and li Continue reading >>
6 Ways To Lower Your A1c Level
Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease that can lead to many complications. When managed properly, diabetes does not have to control your life or ruin your health. Getting tested, especially if you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, is a proactive measure you can take for yourself and your future. In the early stages of diabetes, there are no symptoms. An early diagnosis helps you get treatment before complications occur. The A1C test is a blood test that checks for type 2 diabetes. It is also used to see how well you are managing your diabetes if you have already been diagnosed. The test provides information about a person’s average levels of blood sugar over a two- to three-month period. The number is reported in the form of a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher your average blood glucose levels are, and the higher your risk for either diabetes or related complications. A1C is one of the primary tests used for diabetes diagnosis and management. It can test for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but it can’t test for gestational diabetes. It can also be used to predict the likelihood that someone will get diabetes. The A1C test measures how much glucose, or sugar, is attached to hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells. The more glucose attached, the higher the A1C. This test is groundbreaking, as it 1) doesn’t require fasting, 2) gives a picture of blood sugar levels over a period of days and weeks instead of at just one point in time like fasting sugars, and 3) can be done at any time of day. This makes it easier to administer and easier to make accurate diagnoses. According to the National Institutes of Health, a normal A1C is below 5.7 percent. If your score is between 5.7 and 6.4 percent, the diagnosis is prediabetes. Having prediabetes put Continue reading >>
Patient Comments: Hemoglobin A1c Test - High Results
I have been doing a lot of research on CIN1. I was 26 when my doctor told me I have cervical dysplasia (CIN1), January of 20017. I didn't think anything of it. But then she told me I have HPV high risk E6/E7 mRNA. One day I was looking through my medical records online and discovered I had CIN1 3 years ago July of 2014 and my doctor never told me. Now I am stressing over it because my periods are irregular and when I do have them they are strange. Also the year of 2014 I told my doctor I was having clots the size of 2 half dollars put together and she didn't say anything either. I get pelvic pain sometimes. She did a biopsy and I was positive for CIN1 and high risk HPV and ascus. I don't know what I should do, maybe I should get a new doctor. In May 2015 I was really tired, lethargic and bloated all the time. I was so constipated and miserable. I had been gluten free for 4 years by self-diagnosis. Finally, I went to a gastroenterologist. My blood work came back positive for Helicobacter pylori. The doctor said that H. pylori causes similar symptoms as gluten allergies. I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy which showed all of the internal inflammation and prior damage from the bacteria. It seemed to be dormant so there was no need for eradication, however the prescription acid reflux pills made me sick so I stopped that. Now I take probiotics and manuka honey and feel great. Try to avoid the prescription drugs. I have to go back for a check up to see if the bacteria is gone. I just had a laparoscopy 2 days ago and other than feeling full and bloated from the gas and a soreness around the incisions, I feel pretty good. The day of the surgery when I came home, I was very sleepy and slept for almost 2 days with getting up, except here and there to use the bathroom and eat. My Continue reading >>
Can I Bring My Hemoglobin Down By Watching My Diet?
Can I bring my hemoglobin down by watching my diet? My last hemoglobin test showed 6.2. Is there anyway that I can bring it down by watching my diet? If yes, what kind of foods I should avoid? Experience: MBBS, MD, MCCM. Currently working in Critical Care Medicine with 10 year experience in Medicine Welcome to JA and thanks for the question, A Hemoglobin of 6.2 is LOW not high, unless you meant 16.2? ANy other medical conditions? medications? I was wrong. Actually, I meant 6.2 insofar as a hemoglobin A1C is concerned. Doctor: Dr. Muneeb Ali , Doctorreplied 8 years ago Now a HbA1c of 6.2 is not that high infact any value of less than 7.0 is considered to be a good value in a diabetic. We normally aim for a value of less than 7.0 in a diabetic when he or she is put on any medication. Now i believe you are concerned because many labs denote a value of 6.0 as normal and ypour value has come back 0.2% greater than normal. Let me reassure you that this is infact a good result if you are a diabetic and your diabetes is well controlled infact many of my patients require many drugs to get this under control and they require diet adjustment and changes to their medication to get the value below 7.0. Now in your case if you are still worried about your HbA1c level, then i would recommend continuing with the same medication and getting your value rechecked in another 3 months which would indicate how well your diabetes in under control because this test indicates the control of your diabtes within the last 120 days or 3 months. Right now i dont think you need to do anything to get the value below 6 simply because this is a GOOD result and this means that your diabetes is well under control. Now if you are not diabetic, then this value again isnt significant because in order to dia Continue reading >>
Diabetes Experts Share Ways To Lower Your A1c Levels
Diabetes management at home is an important way of controlling your blood sugar levels without the help of an expert. In that sense, you are in control of your diabetes on a daily basis. However, the American Diabetes Associations’ recommends that a person with diabetes should get their A1C tested by a doctor at least two times a year. The test will give you a picture of your journey with diabetes as a whole. Now, once you do get the numbers, what do you do with that information? If you are on the right track, you will continue doing whatever it is that has been working so far. you feel encouraged! However, if the numbers are not what you and your health care provider were expecting, it is imperative that you embark on the path to lowering them so you can avoid any diabetes related complications in the future. The task can be daunting and overwhelming. We have rounded up 37 experts to share tips and ways that will help you in lowering your A1C levels and keeping them that way. The wisdom they share with us today will help you take those little steps towards a healthier lifestyle. 1. Sharon Castillo In a recent study published by the University of Toronto, it was shown that cinnamon has properties which can reduce blood pressure, especially for those who have prediabetes or type 2-diabetes. Hypertension or high blood pressure is common among those who have prediabetes and type-2 diabetics. High blood glucose levels create oxidative radicals which can damage the arteries. I recommend reading the following articles: The damage to the arteries can result into the scarring of the blood vessels. The scarring builds up plaque which reduces the size of the blood vessel. The reduction in the size of the diameter increases blood pressure. While not all of cinnamon’s mechanism Continue reading >>
Hemoglobin A1c (hba1c) Test For Diabetes
The hemoglobin A1c test tells you your average level of blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months. It's also called HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin test, and glycohemoglobin. People who have diabetes need this test regularly to see if their levels are staying within range. It can tell if you need to adjust your diabetes medicines. The A1c test is also used to diagnose diabetes. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells. It gives blood its red color, and it’s job is to carry oxygen throughout your body. The sugar in your blood is called glucose. When glucose builds up in your blood, it binds to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. The A1c test measures how much glucose is bound. Red blood cells live for about 3 months, so the test shows the average level of glucose in your blood for the past 3 months. If your glucose levels have been high over recent weeks, your hemoglobin A1c test will be higher. For people without diabetes, the normal range for the hemoglobin A1c level is between 4% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% mean you have a higher change of getting of diabetes. Levels of 6.5% or higher mean you have diabetes. The target A1c level for people with diabetes is usually less than 7%. The higher the hemoglobin A1c, the higher your risk of having complications related to diabetes. A combination of diet, exercise, and medication can bring your levels down. People with diabetes should have an A1c test every 3 months to make sure their blood sugar is in their target range. If your diabetes is under good control, you may be able to wait longer between the blood tests. But experts recommend checking at least two times a year. People with diseases affecting hemoglobin, such as anemia, may get misleading results with this test. Other things that can Continue reading >>
What Does A 6.2% Hemoglobin A1c Mean?
My recent blood test result indicated that my Hemoglobin A1c is labeled as "high" at 6.2% because the normal range is 3.0-6.0%. What does it... show more My recent blood test result indicated that my Hemoglobin A1c is labeled as "high" at 6.2% because the normal range is 3.0-6.0%. What does it mean? Does it mean I may have lung problem or some kind of tumor? Everything else on the report is normal except this. Thanks!!! The glycated (glyco- and glycosylated are incorrect terms according to the International Journal of Biomedical Nomenclature) hemoglobin A1C is the mean (average) glucose over approximately a ninety day period (the typical lifespan of an erythrocyte also known as a red blood cell). An A1C of 6.2% approximates a mean ninety day glucose of 132 mg/dL (7.3 mmol/L for those not in the US). No single blood test is diagnostic but if your A1C is reproducibly above 6.0% then you would have early diabetes. Terms such as abnormal glucose tolerance, pre-diabetic, and borderline diabetic are out of date. There is about a ten year period of damage prior to the glucose becoming elevated. Thus there is a strong push today for early diagnosis with prompt and decisive treatment. The non-diabetic's glucose ranges (independent of what, when, or how much you eat) from 70 to 140 mg/dL (3.9 to 7.8 mmol/L). An A1C of 6.0% approximates a ninety day mean glucose of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L). Numbers above this - if reproducible - indicate diabetes. Remember that the diagnosis should not be based upon a single reading. If I may be of further assistance please let me know. I wish you the very best of health and may God bless. Continue reading >>
The Normal A1c Level
Wow Richard, 70 lbs? I have lost 24 lbs from low carb diet due to SIBO. It also helped my AC1 go down three points from 6.2 and my cholesterol is lower, which surprised me. I can’t afford to lose anymore weight because I was small to begin with. I had noticed much bigger people in the UK over the last 5 years compared to 15-20. Was quite shocking. I thought we had the patent on obesity! I am not diabetic that I know of but I had weird symptoms… Thirst that continued all day and night. My husband called me a camel. Dry eyes, rashes, strange dark discolouration on arm, under the arm to the side, some circulation issues and blurred vision. Eye specialist could not figure out why. Sores in the mouth also. I had observed about three weeks into super low carbs (30 Gms carb/day) that athlete’s foot symptom, sores in mouth and rashes were clearing up. So, lowering carbs for SIBO actually turned out for the best. By the way, I love your final paragraph. Research is what led me to SIBO diagnosis, and I then told the GI what to look for! He was barking up the wrong tree for months. Said I needed to eat more carbs so I don’t lose weight. Well, carbs fed the bacterial overgrowth!!! Dang fool. On Saturday, June 23, 2012, Diabetes Developments wrote: There is a new comment on the post “The Normal A1C Level”. Author: Richard Comment: I think part of the problem is that doctors are trained over many years to treat with pills, not with food. We continue to do what we are trained to do no matter what. I do believe they want to help us but don’t have the nutritional knowledge because that is not their expertise. When you have a hammer, etc. Nutritionist are no better unless they are those involved in research. They just peddle the messages they are told to. Then again, why wo Continue reading >>
- What Is a Normal Blood Sugar Level?
- A Novel Intervention Including Individualized Nutritional Recommendations Reduces Hemoglobin A1c Level, Medication Use, and Weight in Type 2 Diabetes
- A Novel Intervention Including Individualized Nutritional Recommendations Reduces Hemoglobin A1c Level, Medication Use, and Weight in Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes Simplified: A1c Testing
By Wil Dubois “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the best-controlled of all?” —what the Wicked Queen would have asked if she’d had diabetes instead of vanity issues If you’ve had diabetes for any time at all, you’ve probably heard of the A1C test. Sometimes, it’s also called the HbA1c test, the Hemoglobin A1c test, or the glycated hemoglobin test. They’re all the same thing. This is a lab test that allows your doctor, by consulting with a magic mirror, to determine how well your diabetes has been controlled, night and day, for the last three months. If that’s not black magic, I don’t know what is. Of course, as sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke famously said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The A1C has become the widely accepted benchmark for diabetes control. It’s used to classify who is in control and who is not, and to quantify the risk levels of those not in-target. The higher the A1C, the greater the risk of complications. The A1C is now also used diagnostically, with A1C scores actually used to diagnose new-onset diabetes. The A1C Test: How Does It Work? Well, like I said, it’s magic: in this case, the magic of biochemistry. The test measures the average blood sugar level for the past three months. It can do this because glucose sticks to red blood cells, just like powdered sugar sticks to freshly-fried doughnut holes. The result of the test is expressed as a percentage: 6.2 percent…7.8 percent…8.3 percent…9.6 percent…12.4 percent…and so on. Most A1C scores are only expressed in tenths of a percent, but some labs report twentieths, as well, so you might see an A1C of 6.79 percent or 8.32 percent. Wait a sec. A percentage of what, exactly? The percentage of hemoglobin in the sample of red Continue reading >>
