Are You Pre-Diabetic Or Out Of Control? | Is Your A1C Blood Test Normal?
Check your Hemoglobin A1C level. This health test is important to your “Self” healthcare wellness check, because this particular blood test is used to screen people with fatigue to find out whether they have pre-diabetes or uncontrolled diabetes. It's also used in people who know they have diabetes to measure how well they are controlling their blood sugar and to guide their treatment decisions. You may need this blood test to check for pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you already know that you have diabetes
or pre-diabetes, you may need this blood test to see how well you are controlling your blood sugar. People with diabetes must track their blood sugar (glucose) levels every day to make sure they aren’t too high or too low.
The A1C blood test gives results for a longer period of time.
It shows whether your blood sugar has been too high on average in the previous two to three months. When blood sugar is high, more glucose builds up and sticks to your hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. The hemoglobin A1C blood test measures the percentage of hemoglobin that is coated with blood sugar.
Depending on the type of diabetes you have, how well it's controlled, and your health care provider’s preferences, you may need to have the A1C blood test two or more times a year. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that you have an hemoglobin A1C blood test at least twice a year, if you are meeting your blood sugar goals and your blood sugar is well-controlled. If you aren’t meeting your goals or your medication has changed lately, you should have the A1C blood test more often. You also may have the blood test when your health care provider first starts working with you to treat your diabetes.
What other tests might I have along with this test?
If you are testing for diabetes, you may also take a fasting plasma glucose blood test, or FPG, or an oral glucose tolerance test, or OGTT, as part of your screening and diagnosis. You may also be tested for sugar, ketones or protein in the urine.
What do my test results mean?
Laboratory test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, the method used for the test, and many other factors. If your results are different from the results suggested below, this may not mean that you have a problem. Ask your doctor to explain what the results mean for you.
A1C is reported as a percentage:
Normal A1C is considered to be below 5.7 percent. Results between 5.7 and 6.4 percent may mean you have pre-diabetes. This means you have a higher risk of developing diabetes. Results of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate occasions may mean that you have diabetes.
The ADA recommends that people with diabetes should maintain an A1C below 7 percent. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends an A1C of 6.5 percent or less. Recommendations may vary based on the person's age, medical conditions, or other factors.
Why do I need this blood test?
If you have unexplained symptoms or concerns for an illness, checking yourself for the presence or absence of a disease is only confirmed through a blood test.
Access to “Self” healthcare is now available anytime, through the Healthcare Blood Test Store online, where you can order your own blood test anytime at an FDA approved lab location near your home or office nationwide!
Repeat your Pre-Paid blood test as often as you would like, without your doctor's order. Know your numbers to follow your health progress. Stay informed about your health changes, particularly when taking long-term medications, or following new life style changes to improve your health. A hemoglobin A1C blood test is available for only $35.00 at www.healthcarebloodteststore.com