SAMPLES NEEDED

Our HBA1c (Glycosylated hemoglobin) test basically is a single test requiring a blood sample. No fasting or preparation is required by the patient before testing. To perform this test you will need to visit your laboratory of choice for the collection of a Blood sample. 

TEST BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This test is used to monitor diabetes treatment, as a diabetic control index. It measures the amount of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a component of hemoglobin A, in the blood and provides an accurate long-term index of the patient's average blood glucose level.

The amount of glycosylated hemoglobin (glycohemoglobin – GHb), depends on the available amount of glucose in the person's bloodstream over the red blood cells (RBC's) 120-day life span. Therefore, determination of the GHb value reflects the average blood sugar level for the past 3 months. The more glucose the RBC is exposed to, the more the percentage. People who have diabetes need this test regularly to see if their levels are staying within range. It can tell if you need to adjust your diabetes medicines. The A1c test is also used to diagnose diabetes. For people without diabetes, the normal range for the hemoglobin A1c level is between 4% and 5.6%. Hemoglobin A1c levels between 5.7% and 6.4% means a higher risk of having diabetes. Levels of 6.5% or higher mean you have diabetes.

One important advantage of this test is that the sample can be drawn at any time because it is not affected by short-term variations such as food intake, exercise or stress, hypoglycemic agents, and patient cooperation.