What is the Hemoglobin A1C screening and why should I get it?
The hemoglobin A1C (HgbA1C) test shows your average blood glucose over the last 60 to 90 days. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has issued revised guidelines for A1C screening. The ADA states that this screening could potentially reduce the number of patients with undiagnosed diabetes or prediabetes. In the past the A1C was used only to evaluate blood sugar control in people with diabetes. The ADA defines an A1C of 5.7% to less than 6.5% as “high risk” for the future development of diabetes. The ADA also states that the vast majority of individuals with A1C greater than 6.5% will subsequently be diagnosed with diabetes during follow-up, and they’re at very high risk of kidney disease and have almost 4 times the risk of developing end-stage renal disease compared to those people in the normal range, and a 2-fold increased risk of developing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or stroke or dying during follow-up.
