Glycated Hemoglobin and Diabetes

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(Based on Wikipedia) Hemoglobin A1c or HbA1c or glycosylated hemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that is measured primarily to identify the three-month average blood glucose concentration. The test is limited to a three-month average because the lifespan of a red blood cell is three months. Normal levels of glucose produce a normal amount of HbA1c. As blood sugar increases, HbA1c also increases. It serves as a marker for average blood glucose levels over the previous three months before the measurement because the lifespan of red blood cells is around 120 days or three months.

(Diabetes.co.uk) Two large-scale studies - the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) and the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) - demonstrated that improving HbA1c by 1% (or 11 mmol/mol) for people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes cuts the risk of microvascular complications of the eyes, nerves and kidneys by 25%.

Research has also shown that people with type 2 diabetes who reduce their HbA1c level by 1% are:

• 19% less likely to suffer cataracts
• 16% less likely to suffer heart failure
• 43% less likely to suffer amputation or death due to peripheral vascular disease

The HbA1c test does not require fasting and can be taken any time of the day, which for most people is very convenient.

The HbA1c value reflects a person's average blood sugar for the past two to three months, which is good for knowing:

1. A diabetic's control of sugar 
2. One's risk for diabetic complications, 
3. If one has diabetes (along with fasting blood sugar measurements)

Image is taken from https://shellanddiabetes.wordpress.com