What is Hemoglobin A1C, Anyway?
If you have diabetes, then I am sure that you have had – or are about to have – a battery of blood tests. One of those tests is the A1C test that every diabetic is required to have. So what is it? The A1C test measures the percent of glucose-containing red blood cell molecules in the bloodstream. Now, I realize that none of that makes sense until you understand what all of these words mean. Hemoglobin A is a protein in red blood cells that is used to transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. When glucose molecules combine with hemoglobin A in the bloodstream, the hemoglobin A1C molecule is created. Following me? Good. Now here is the kicker: the more glucose in the bloodstream, the more hemoglobin A1C molecules are created. Right? Right. Now that we understand that part, we can go on to what the A1C test measures. The A1C test measures the percentage of hemoglobin A1C molecules that have formed in the bloodstream. If you have your A1C tested and the result is say, 5, the
