Various underlying conditions, including blood disorders, can also have an effect, as can potentially modifiable factors , such as stress, medications, and lifestyle changes. A person with an A1C level indicating prediabetes may wish to consider making lifestyle changes, such as adopting a well-balanced diet and staying active, to help manage or even reverse the condition before it progresses to type 2 diabetes.
If a person has a higher A1C level, suggesting diabetes, it is advisable for them to contact a doctor. However, personal targets can vary, and a diabetes care team may consider other factors to help a person set their own individual goals.
If a person with diabetes has an A1C test result that is much higher than their set target, a doctor can help advise lifestyle and medication changes to lower their A1C level. In particular, it measures the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood with an attached molecule of glucose. When glucose attaches to hemoglobin, experts refer to the resulting compound as glycosylated hemoglobin.
Type A1 hemoglobin has subtypes, including A1C. As this is the most abundant subtype, it is a good marker for glucose control. The test uses a 3-month average because RBCs typically live for about 3 months.
Therefore, this timeframe reflects the sugar exposure to the cells over that time. The test does not require any specific preparations, so a person does not need to fast prior to the test, and a doctor can perform it at any time of the day.
The A1C test estimates the average blood sugar level over the past 3 months. The test is able to measure this by identifying the percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin in the blood. If there is more glucose present in the blood, more glucose is available to attach to hemoglobin.
Therefore, if a person has a high percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin, it indicates that they have had high blood sugar for an extended period. A high A1C level can be concerning, as it may indicate that an individual has a higher risk of diabetes complications. For those without a diabetes diagnosis, it suggests that, without interventions, they may develop the condition. For individuals living with diabetes, it may indicate that their current treatment plan is not effective and that they should contact a doctor.
When it comes to the numbers, there's no one-size-fits-all target. A1C target levels can vary by each person's age and other factors, and your target may be different from someone else's. A1C test results are reported as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher your blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. The A1C test can also be used for diagnosis, based on the following guidelines:.
Another term you may come across when finding out your A1C is eAG. This is often said when someone with diabetes has met their A1C target range, which is Keep in mind that an A1C test like any other BGL reading is just information to guide you in your diabetes management. Some run higher while others run low — it really depends on the individual. This number can vary wildly too throughout your life.
Consult your doctor to find a target A1C range and a diabetes plan that works for you. Board of Directors. The Team. Leadership Council. Join Us. Type 1 Info. Type 2 Info. The A1C test may give false results in people with certain conditions.
Having prediabetes is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Within the prediabetes A1C range of 5. Health care professionals may use the A1C test early in pregnancy to see if a woman with risk factors had undiagnosed diabetes before becoming pregnant.
Since the A1C test reflects your average blood glucose levels over the past 3 months, testing early in pregnancy may include values reflecting time before you were pregnant. The glucose challenge test or the oral glucose tolerance test OGTT are used to check for gestational diabetes , usually between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.
If you had gestational diabetes, you should be tested for diabetes no later than 12 weeks after your baby is born. If your blood glucose is still high, you may have type 2 diabetes. Even if your blood glucose is normal, you still have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the future and should get tested every 3 years.
For these blood glucose tests used to diagnose diabetes , you must fast at least 8 hours before you have your blood drawn. In some cases, health care professionals use the A1C test to help confirm the results of another blood glucose test. In some people, a blood glucose test may show diabetes when an A1C test does not.
The reverse can also occur—an A1C test may indicate diabetes even though a blood glucose test does not. Because of these differences in test results, health care professionals repeat tests before making a diagnosis.
People with differing test results may be in an early stage of the disease, when blood glucose levels have not risen high enough to show up on every test. In this case, health care professionals may choose to follow the person closely and repeat the test in several months. Lab test results can vary from day to day and from test to test.
This can be a result of the following factors:. Your results can vary because of natural changes in your blood glucose level. For example, your blood glucose level moves up and down when you eat or exercise. Sickness and stress also can affect your blood glucose test results. The following chart shows how multiple blood glucose measurements over 4 days compare with an A1C measurement. The straight black line shows an A1C measurement of 7. The blue line shows an example of how blood glucose test results might look from self-monitoring four times a day over a 4-day period.
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