HbA1c....what??

[Quizzy]

hba1c is basically how much sugar is showing up in your blood.
Due to the turnover rate of your blood cells it shows how well your body coped with the amount of sugars and carbs eaten and drunk over the last 3 months.
While 42 will always be the answer to life, the universe and everything .... in this instance it shows you are in the lower range of prediabetic.
Acting now is the best thing you can do to look after your health and hopefully dodge diabetes.

I was diagnosed pre-diabetic with a score of 42, I reduced carbs and sugars. Since my cholesterol was high I reduced fats and saturates too. Due to the combined reductions I lost my excess weight, and 1 year later I have a score of 39 which is non-diabetic.

Congratulations, lovely to hear of your success.

 

[Quizzy]

@Quizzy Hopefully this will help:

What is HbA1c?

HbA1c is your average blood glucose (sugar) levels for the last two to three months. If you have diabetes, an ideal HbA1c level is 48mmol/mol (6.5%) or below. If you're at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, your target HbA1c level should be below 42mmol/mol (6%).

www.diabetes.org.uk

.

Thanks for the trouble you took and I am very sorry I phrased my question so badly. I wanted to know what HbA1c represented i.e. as an ACRONYM. For your amusement, I was using my primitive O level chemistry to interpret H=hydrogen! The rest of the formula baffled because I wasn't thinking BIOchemistry!

 

[helli]

I should have asked what the Acronym HbA1c meant. I googled all sorts of tortuous ways before I stumbled upon ACRONYM and google eventually understood what I wanted. My O level chemistry misled me to start with H for hydrogen!

Now you have piqued my curiosity. I started off down the acronym rabbit warren before putting the brakes on and deciding to ask someone who has already been there.
Google is quite clear that the Hb bit is "Hemoglobin" (although, in my ignorance, I would abbreviate that to Hg and confuse chemists expecting Mercury) but what does A1c stand for?

 

[Inka]

Thanks for the trouble you took and I am very sorry I phrased my question so badly. I wanted to know what HbA1c represented i.e. as an ACRONYM. For your amusement, I was using my primitive O level chemistry to interpret H=hydrogen! The rest of the formula baffled because I wasn't thinking BIOchemistry!

Oh, well that’s much simpler! If you thought the H was hydrogen, what did you think the little b was? My chemistry is pretty primitive too, but haemoglobin is something I’ve met a number of times so I knew that one. I was just told the A1C bit was the type of haemoglobin. I asked your question too soon after I was diagnosed and had it explained as, in very simple terms, how much glucose/sugar has stuck to your haemoglobin. I find that works quite well in visualising the basic idea of it.

 

[Inka]

Now you have piqued my curiosity. I started off down the acronym rabbit warren before putting the brakes on and deciding to ask someone who has already been there.
Google is quite clear that the Hb bit is "Hemoglobin" (although, in my ignorance, I would abbreviate that to Hg and confuse chemists expecting Mercury) but what does A1c stand for?

The type of haemoglobin, I believe @helli And yes, it’s Hb to avoid confusion with mercury.

 

[helli]

The type of haemoglobin, I believe @helli And yes, it’s Hb to avoid confusion with mercury.

Aha so A1c is just a nomenclature/code rather than an acronym.
Actinuium was the closest I could find.

@Quizzy see what you have done!

 

[Inka]

Aha so A1c is just a nomenclature/code rather than an acronym.
Actinuium was the closest I could find.

@Quizzy see what you have done!

Yes, as I understand it @helli Haemoglobin can be separated out into different forms and A1C is the form that the glucose sticks to, so measuring that form of haemoglobin gives an idea of diabetes control.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yes, as I understand it @helli Haemoglobin can be separated out into different forms and A1C is the form that the glucose sticks to, so measuring that form of haemoglobin gives an idea of diabetes control.

Yes I think there are HbA1a and HbA1b fragments along with the more familiar HbA1c

JCDR - Glycated haemoglobin, HbA1a%, HbA1b%, Variant haemoglobins

Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research aims to publish findings of doctors at grass root level and post graduate students, so that all unique medical experiences are recorded in literature.

www.jcdr.net

 

[Quizzy]

Sorry, its me again. I found that Google did have the sort of answer I wanted: Unfortunately I can't remember what I asked Google but this is what I got:

"What is Hemoglobin A1c? Hemoglobin (Hb) is the compound in the red blood cells that transports oxygen. One of the types of hemoglobin (Hb) is called HbA; HbA1c is a specific subtype of HbA. Glucose binds slowly to Hb and produces glycosylated Hb."

Of course, this prompts me to wonder about the other letters and numbers... but enough is enough!

Most of Google's answers to my question "what is HbA1c" referred to the blood test FOR "HbA1c". So difficult to word the question correctly. And was no-one else curious?

 

[Burylancs]

Thanks for the trouble you took and I am very sorry I phrased my question so badly. I wanted to know what HbA1c represented i.e. as an ACRONYM. For your amusement, I was using my primitive O level chemistry to interpret H=hydrogen! The rest of the formula baffled because I wasn't thinking BIOchemistry!

HbA1c is not an Acronym. It seems to be an Abbrevonym, sinc Hb is an abbreviation of Haemoglobin.

 

[BobbleHat]

Sorry, its me again. I found that Google did have the sort of answer I wanted: Unfortunately I can't remember what I asked Google but this is what I got:

"What is Hemoglobin A1c? Hemoglobin (Hb) is the compound in the red blood cells that transports oxygen. One of the types of hemoglobin (Hb) is called HbA; HbA1c is a specific subtype of HbA. Glucose binds slowly to Hb and produces glycosylated Hb."

Of course, this prompts me to wonder about the other letters and numbers... but enough is enough!

Most of Google's answers to my question "what is HbA1c" referred to the blood test FOR "HbA1c". So difficult to word the question correctly. And was no-one else curious?

The A bit in HbA1c refers to the fact it's Adult haemoglobin too (to differentiate it from HbF - which is fetal haemoglobin. Most of us have less than 1% fetal Hb in our blood by adulthood).

Which is not of vital importance to diabetics! But A/F Hb can be important in Haemaglobinopathies like Sickle Cell Anaemia.