You must have heard about the HBA1c blood test. Why is it done once every three months? Can it be done once a month? Can it be done once every two months? Why is it done once every three months? Let us see all the details like the benefits for us in this video.
What Does HbA1c Stand For?
HBA stands for Hemoglobin A. In adult blood, up to 98% of our blood is hemoglobin A. A for adult HBA means that this hemoglobin A has two chains: alpha chain and beta chain. We are measuring the glucose attached to the N-terminal of this beta chain.
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Why Is HbA1c Checked Every 3 Months?
We measure the glucose, which is the concentrate in hemoglobin A1C, or HbA1. These RBCs are made in our bone marrow. Red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and enter our bloodstream, and their lifespan can be estimated to be 120 days, or approximately three months. So, we call the glucose deposited in hemoglobin during these three months as HbA1c.
HbA1c Shows 3-Month Average Blood Sugar
The Three Months Average Sugar shown in the Sugar Control tells us about the sugar reading for the last three months. This HbA1c is a very important tool, not only for diagnosing diabetes but also for the treatment protocol.
Why Blood Sugar and HbA1c Can Be Different
When diabetes patients come to us, if the reading increases to 250, we increase the medication. We make lifestyle changes for a few days and observe. In some cases, we check the HbA1c, which means that their sugar levels are definitely high. This is temporary. One day, when we go to a function, they say, “I ate a lot of fruits yesterday, so it increased. I ate a chocolate, it increased.” So, we can easily tell the difference between such conditions and constantly elevated sugar in the HbA1c test.
HbA1c Levels and Diabetes
In a normal person, HbA1c is below 5.6, if it is between 5.7 and 6.4, we call it pre-diabetes, and if it exceeds 6.5, we call it diabetes.
HbA1c and Diabetes Complications
There have been studies conducted on thousands of people over the years, such as the DCCT trial and the UKPDS trial. When these trials are conducted, the hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) concentration is used as the basis.
All the complications of diabetes also occur, which means that for example, it is directly proportional. Those with higher HbA1c levels have higher diabetes complications.
HbA1c and Heart Disease Risk
An important aspect of these studies is that they are landmark trials. What they said is that if the hemoglobin HbA1c is below 1%, they are 100% safe. They also see diabetes complications as very rare. However, even if someone’s HbA1c increases by 1% beyond seven, the risk of heart disease doubles.
HbA1c and Diabetes Symptoms
The risk of neuropathy increases. Burning feet, blurred vision are also directly related to this HbA1c.
HbA1c and Consistent Diabetes Control
Therefore, to control sugar, it is not one day or two days, it is a persistence, that is, it has to be done consistently. Every day, patients come to me and say, “Your sugar is very well controlled.” I say, “That’s ours.” They say, “Did you give me medicine?” No, I just gave me medicine. You took that tablet every day, followed the diet rules we told you, exercised, and did it so consistently in the last three months.
That’s why you now have good control of your HbA1c sugar. We acknowledge the effort they have made.
Why HbA1c Should Not Be Checked Too Frequently
When you check the HbA1C test this time, some people do it in a month. There are many people who have been getting blood tests done every 10 days and are worried that their HbA1C levels have not decreased. For example, the blood sugar percentage in the past one month is the reason for 50% of HbA1C. Before that, the second month, the last second month, 25%, the third month, that is, two months before that situation, 25% of the HbA1c concentration is shown. Therefore, if HbA1c is not within three months, then we should never worry about it. If we give it three months’ time to decrease, HbA1c will come back to normal.
HbA1c and Anemia
In some people, it is falsely elevated. This means that there is a relationship with the blood concentration. In some people, it is shown falsely. We call it anemia. In those with severe anemia, the Hb percentage is low. What is HbA1c? This adult hemoglobin is filled with what percentage of glucose? HbA1c. So if HbA1c is already low, HbA1c will also show low. If someone has hemoglobin eight, their HbA1c will also show low. The actual sugar reading is 11-12, which means you have high sugar.
Importance of HbA1c in Diabetes Management
So HbA1c is not just a blood test. It not only diagnoses but also helps us in treating and reversing diabetes.
