How is the determination of a hemoglobin variant useful in the control of diabetes?
Red blood cells have insulin-independent transporters on their surface and so they do not require insulin for the uptake of glucose. When glucose molecules attach to HbA molecules HbA1c is formed by the process of glycosylation or glycation which occurs naturally in the body. Therefore, (a) the higher the level of glucose in the plasma, the glucose level inside the red cell will also be high (b) the longer the period of high level of glucose in the plasma, the higher the level of HbA1c.
