Could a patient do a fructosamine test in place of daily blood sugars or in place of an HbA1c test?
Fructosamine tests indicate the level of blood glucose control over the past two to three weeks. It can indicate changes in glucose levels more rapidly then an HbA1c test can. However, people might be tempted to shoot for too low of a fructosamine level, and this might result in dangerous low blood sugars since it is a shorter interval than the Hemoglobin A1c. Therefore, it is not recommended to replace a Hemoglobin A1c, but to complement it.
