Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
What is hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)? Hemoglobin is found in red blood cells and is commonly known as the element that carries oxygen. But it does something else: it combines with some of the sugar (glucose) circulating in the blood stream to become glycohemoglobin. The amount of glucose that combines with the hemoglobin is directly proportional to the total amount of glucose circulating. Since the average life span of a single red blood cell is three months, it stands to reason that measuring the amount of glycohemoglobin would give a good approximation of the average blood sugar level of the previous three months.
Persons without diabetes have been found to have HbA1c levels between 4 percent and 6 percent representing an average blood sugar level of less than 120. For this reason, the American Diabetic Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommend persons who do have diabetes maintain their HbA1c levels at least less than 7 percent, and hopefully less than 6.5 percent.
http://www.ahwatukee.com/community_focus/article_7cc95aa2-e47b-11e2-a148-0019bb2963f4.html
Persons without diabetes have been found to have HbA1c levels between 4 percent and 6 percent representing an average blood sugar level of less than 120. For this reason, the American Diabetic Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommend persons who do have diabetes maintain their HbA1c levels at least less than 7 percent, and hopefully less than 6.5 percent.
http://www.ahwatukee.com/community_focus/article_7cc95aa2-e47b-11e2-a148-0019bb2963f4.html