

It is one measure we have of how well blood glucose is controlled and an indicator of diabetes management. What is A1C and why is it used?Ī1C estimates a person’s average blood sugar levels over a 2 to 3-month span.
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In a follow-up piece, we will discuss time-in-range, blood sugar variability, and how to measure and interpret them. This article describes why A1C is used in the first place, as well as factors that can lead to misleadingly high or low values. However, as an average over a period of months, A1C cannot capture critical information such as time spent in a target range (70-180 mg/dl) and below range (less than 70 mg/dl). For every 1% decrease in A1C, there is significant protection against those complications. A1C reflects average blood sugars over 2 to 3 months, and through studies like DCCT and UKPDS, higher A1C levels have been shown to be associated with the risk of diabetes complications (kidney and nerve disease).

Hemoglobin A1C (“HbA1c” or just “A1c”) is the standard for measuring blood sugar management in people with diabetes. Why we use A1C, what values are recommended, and what impacts A1C – everything from anemia to vitamins
