HBA1c test - how does that work?

[Davids]

When my doctor told me that this single fasting blood test would show my average bg level for three months (i think that's what he said) - i didn't get it. He explained and I still didn't!

Is there a simple answer for a simple soul? 🙂

Thank you

David

 

[novorapidboi26]

Hemoglobin is the container which carries blood and other things around the body.....red blood cells last for about 3 months...glucose sticks to this.....so measuring that glucose gives the 3 month snap shot.......

by no means the the most accurate of tests, but its the best we have today....

I don't think you need to fast to obtain an HbA1c result though.....

 

[AlisonM]

Of course, if they'd let folks test properly, they'd have a far better picture if what is actually happening wouldn't they? 🙄

 

[Dorset Dumpling]

Thank you so much for that "idiots explanation! Just what my simple mind needed!!!

 

[Vicsetter]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about this fasting blood test, I thought it was only needed for the complete cholesterol test with trigs being measured. If your doctor took more than one test tube of blood they were doing other tests as well (which is normal) (cholesterol and kidney function for instance).

You can find more here : http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1018.aspx?CategoryID=69

The video at the end explains (as others have here) how the Hba1c test works.

 

[Davids]

Thanks for all those helpful replies - I understand better now!