My doctor ran a test he called A1C to check my blood sugar. What is this test?
As a diabetic you check your blood sugar every day to determine your daily blood sugar level at that moment. This is important to know how much you should eat or how much medication to take. You also need to know how your blood sugar swings throughout the day, and you don’t want to prick your finger 50 times a day to make this determination. Your hemoglobin A1C value indicates your average blood glucose over a 2 – 3 month period. This reading reflects the amount of glucose attached to the hemoglobin (protein in your red blood cells) molecule over the life of the red blood cell which is 2 -3 months. A1C for a person without diabetes is 4% – 6%. Ideally, your goal should be an A1C less than 7%.
