So higher A1C levels typically correlate with higher circulating blood glucose levels. The higher the A1C value, the more glucose there is on the hemoglobin. The lower the A1C value, the less glucose there is coating the hemoglobin. ![]() It may also be used as a baseline measurement for people with a strong family history of diabetes or other risk factors to see if levels are increasing over time. If you have not been diagnosed with diabetes, sometimes A1C is used along with other measures to help diagnose diabetes. If your blood glucose is within range and stable, your healthcare provider may only order the test every six months. Your healthcare provider may order an A1C test every three months to monitor diabetes treatment changes, such as adjustments to medications, insulin pump settings, or other areas of diabetes self-management. How often should you have an A1C lab test? If your blood glucose control has generally been steady, your hemoglobin cells will not be highly sugar-coated, or “glycated,” leading to a lower A1C value. Since the lifecycle of a red blood cell is about four months, the A1C percentage reflects average blood sugar levels detected on hemoglobin cells of varying ages - days, weeks, or months old. The higher your blood glucose, the more sugar-coated or “glycated” the hemoglobin becomes. Glucose enters your blood stream and sticks, or “glycates,” with the hemoglobin. ![]() Hemoglobin is a protein found inside red blood cells, and its job is to carry oxygen to the lungs and all of the cells in your body. All of these names hint at what is being measured - the amount of sugar (glucose) attached to hemoglobin. The A1C test goes by a few names, including glycosylated hemoglobin, glycated hemoglobin, or hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c). You may be wondering what makes this test different, especially if you already check your blood sugar multiple times a day. Discuss this information and any questions with your healthcare provider, regarding your unique diabetes self-management plan. The correlation between A1C and average glucose has been studied by Nathan, et al, 2008, 1473-1478.* What does A1C measure? Note: This calculator is not a replacement for an A1C lab test and should not be used to make treatment changes. Before you use the calculator, it may be helpful to understand what A1C tells you and what affects it. You can use an A1C calculator to give you a sense of how an A1C percentage correlates to an average blood sugar value and vice versa. Since A1C is measured as a percentage, this value can be harder to interpret as compared to a blood sugar value, like the one you’re used to seeing on a blood glucose meter. This is a helpful tool for understanding your overall blood sugar control, allowing you and your healthcare provider to see if there are trends between each visit and evaluate how your current diabetes treatment plan is working. If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, you have probably had your A1C tested. A1C is a blood test performed by a healthcare professional to measure an average of blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months.
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