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All About A1C
The A1C is one of six tests that people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes need to take. Someone without diabetes would have an A1C between 4 and 6 percent, while the goal for most people with diabetes is an A1C less than 7 percent.
"The higher your A1C, the greater your risk for developing complications, such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, neuropathy and circulation problems," says Martin Abrahamson, M.D., and Medical Director of Joslin Clinic.
Keep your blood glucose levels in your target range by self-monitoring and making adjustments with medicine (insulin, pills, or both), diet and exercise.
"The A1C is a more sophisticated reading done by a laboratory and reflects what one’s average glucose has been for the past two to three months," explains Andrea Penney, R.N., C.D.E., at Joslin Diabetes Center.
Penny explains that the A1C—short for 'glycoslated hemoglobin A1C'—measures the glucose that clings to hemoglobin molecules in red blood cells. The higher the glucose levels in the blood, the more glucose clings to the hemoglobin, and thus the higher the A1C. The cells live for 120 days, so by measuring the percent of hemoglobin molecules that have glucose attached, healthcare providers can see how much extra glucose has been in the bloodstream over the previous few months.
The A1C is done every three to six months during a regular diabetes care visit. It does not require fasting and can be done any time of day. A reading of under 7 percent is the field goal. The closer you get to it, the better you’ll feel.
To learn more about the Joslin Clinic's diabetes care, click here.