Why Would I Need The Diabetes Test?

The HbA1c test is used to diagnose and monitor diabetes.

For people with diabetes, tests are used to show how much control diabetes has been in the past few months. People with diabetes are advised to have these tests every 3 to 6 months, or more often if they are uncontrollable.

This is important. The higher the HbA1c level, the greater the risk of complications such as eye and kidney problems.

How can you prepare for this test?

No preparation is required for this test.

Understanding your results

If you have never been tested for diabetes, HbA1c 6.5% or higher may indicate that you have diabetes. If your level is lower than this, you may need another test to determine if you have diabetes.

If you have diabetes, your doctor will usually aim to get HbA1c 6.5-7%. If HbA1c is above the target range, your doctor may consider changing your treatment or monitoring more closely.

There are certain medical conditions, such as anemia, that change the red blood cells and affect your HbA1c effect.

You should discuss the results with your doctor to see what it means for your particular condition.

When are you tested?

For type 2 diabetes - only patients with a high risk of developing undiagnosed diabetes should be tested. These patients (i) have a health condition or racial background associated with high levels of type 2 diabetes, or (ii) are at risk of type 2 Australian type 2 diabetes (ASTERISK) or higher, which puts them at increased risk for diabetes - (replaced by Medicare).

Diabetes monitoring - every 3-6 months - 4 times a year if glycemic goals are not reached or when the treatment plan has changed; at least 2 times a year if you meet medical goals and under stable glycemic control. Medicare returns four HbA1c monitoring trials per year. Regular monitoring is required during pregnancy, up to six tests over a 12-month period covered by Medicare.

Need a sample?

A blood sample taken from a vein in the arm or finger tray.

Need to prepare for the exam?

Nothing.

What is being tested?

As glucose circulates in your bloodstream, one of these binds automatically to hemoglobin (a protein that carries oxygen to red blood cells). This compound is called hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). The amount of HbA1c produced is directly related to the amount of glucose in your blood. If your diabetes is not controlled properly, blood glucose levels are high, resulting in high HbA1c levels. HbA1c levels do not change immediately, as red blood cells last 3-4 months. As a result, the amount of HbA1c in your blood indicates the level of glucose in your blood over the past 2-3 months. When blood sugar levels are high, glycated hemoglobin is formed.

How is the sample collected for testing?

Your blood may be drawn from a vein in your arm or, in some cases, by a fingerprint.

Are there any test adjustments required to ensure the quality of the sample?

It is not necessary to prepare for the exam.

When requested?

When your doctor suspects that you may have diabetes. After being diagnosed with diabetes, Diabetes Australia recommends that for all people, HbA1c is measured every 3-6 months. HbA1c may be measured more frequently in those who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, in those whose blood sugar levels remain high, or when the treatment plan changes.

How to use?

The HbA1c test can be used to diagnose diabetes and show how well your diabetes has been managed over the past few months. Even if you may have very high or very low glucose levels, HbA1c will give you an idea of the average glucose level in your blood at that time. The result can help you and your doctor know if the steps you are taking to control your diabetes are working.

What does the test result mean?

Diabetes Diagnosis - HbA1c ≥6.5% (48 M MOL / MOL)

Treatment objectives:

Average Targets <7% (53 MOL / MOL) - If you have diabetes and your HbA1c is below 7% (also reported to be 53 MOL / MOL) your diabetes is likely to be well controlled. If your HbA1c level rises above 7% (53 M MOL / MOL), you are at increased risk of developing chronic problems such as eye disease, kidney disease or nerve damage and possibly heart disease and stroke.

Recurrent severe hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia ≤ 64 MOL / MOL, ≤ 8.0%

Prediabetes - 42–47 M MOL / MOL (6.0–6.4%) Although labeling people with HbA1c level slightly below 48 M MOL / MOL (6.5%) with prediabetes is not recommended, levels raise the risk of developing diabetes .

Why are there two effects of HbA1c?

HbA1c is now commonly reported in two sets of units. These% (NGSP) units have one long-used decimal place and the new System International (SI) units have no decimal place and were introduced in Australia in 2011. The new units are related to the updated international standard of HbA1c developed by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFC) and as a result are sometimes known as IFC units. To convert results in% of units into SI units, the following number can be used: HbA1c (M MOL / MOL) = 10.93 x HbA1c (% units) - 23.5.