Diabetes A1C Test: Should You Take It?

Diabetes Cure Story Because you have diabetes, you and your doctor, diabetes educator, and other members of your health care team work to keep your blood glucose (sugar) at ideal levels. There are two powerful reasons to work for effective blood sugar control: You will feel better. You may prevent or delay the start of diabetes complications such as nerve, eye, kidney, and blood vessel damage. One way to keep track of your blood sugar changes is by checking your blood sugar at home. These tests tell you what your blood sugar level is at any one time. But suppose you want to know how you've done overall. There's a test that can help. An A1C (also known as glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c) test gives you a picture of your average blood glucose control for the past 2 to 3 months. The results give you a good idea of how well your diabetes treatment plan is working. In some ways, the A1C test is like a baseball player's season batting average. Both A1C and the batting average tell you about a person's overall success. Neither a single day's blood test results nor a single game's batting record gives the same big picture.