An HbA1c studying by itself isn’t very useful except you recognize what it actually means about your every day blood sugar ranges.
Understanding how your A1c accumulates over the course of three months and the way it interprets to an precise common blood sugar degree is a crucial a part of diabetes administration that’s typically by no means defined within the physician’s workplace.
On this article, we’ll discuss how AGEs result in your A1c, how your A1c end result interprets to an eAG, and what you are able to do subsequent with that data!
What your A1c is absolutely measuring: Superior Glycogenated Finish-Merchandise
Your A1c is definitely a measurement of the quantity of “superior glycogenated end-products” which have amassed in your bloodstream over the course of the prior 3 months.
Also called “AGEs,” these are basically a type of extra sugar out of your bloodstream that’s accountable for damaging essential nerve-endings and blood vessels all through your complete physique.
The extra AGEs are current in your bloodstream, the extra harm your physique is experiencing that leads to the basic checklist of diabetes problems like retinopathy, neuropathy, hair-loss, gastroparesis, dermopathy, and nephropathy.
The upper your blood sugars are each day, the extra AGEs build-up in your bloodstream. The extra AGEs there are in your bloodstream means the upper your subsequent A1c end result can be!
Whereas we don’t discuss AGEs frequently within the physician’s workplace or on-line, they’re precisely what your A1c is measuring.
What’s an estimated common glucose degree?
Earlier than we begin speaking about A1c outcomes, we have to clear up one factor: your eAG.
Your eAG is solely your “estimated common glucose degree” or blood sugar degree.
Your eAG is one other time period not often utilized in physician’s workplaces, nevertheless it’s fairly darn essential in the event you’re attempting to enhance your A1c and your total danger of diabetes problems.
Everyone knows our blood sugar by no means stays put in a single place for very lengthy, so your eAG doesn’t suggest that your blood sugar is all the time that quantity, however as a substitute it’s the center of the general vary of your blood sugar’s fluctuations every day.
Okay, let’s get extra particular…
Translating your A1c to a blood sugar degree
It’s simple to see an A1c results of 8.0 % and assume, “Oh, my blood sugars are normally in-range. Every part is okay.” However in the event you look extra intently at what an 8.0 % A1c actually interprets to as a blood sugar degree, chances are you’ll be stunned.
You should utilize this simple A1c/ eAG conversion chart from the American Diabetes Affiliation to immediately translate your newest A1c end result to an eAG.
You possibly can learn extra about blood sugar ranges within the publish “What are Regular Blood Sugar Ranges?”
Figuring out your personal A1c and eAG targets
In a perfect world, certain, we’d all eat zero carbohydrates and our A1cs could be a magical 5.0. However managing diabetes isn’t that straightforward.
Which means that figuring out that proper A1c aim for you, your physique, and your life as an individual with diabetes is a really private determination that you simply and your healthcare workforce determine on.
As an example, somebody with a background of hypoglycemia unawareness might discover a goal A1c of 6.0 % to easily be too harmful, placing them at an excessive amount of danger for extreme hypoglycemia.
Somebody who lives by themselves might discover that sleeping with blood sugars decrease than 120 mg/dL, for instance, is just too scary.
Somebody who has in restoration from diabulimia and has spent the previous a number of years with blood sugars above 300 mg/dL might want to decrease blood sugar ranges very regularly with the assistance of their healthcare workforce and help workforce. This implies their A1c goes to be set at the next goal than “regular,” too.
To study extra about setting A1c targets and reducing your A1c (and why it’s not all the time the very best diabetes administration aim), please learn our complete information to reducing your A1c.
Everyone seems to be in a unique place with their diabetes administration, and all of us have totally different private wants, challenges, and targets. And that must be okay. Concentrate on what’s best for you and your present life as an individual with diabetes.
Should you discovered this information to translating your A1c to a blood sugar degree helpful, please join our e-newsletter (and get a sign-up bonus) within the kind under. We ship out a weekly e-newsletter with the most recent posts and recipes from Diabetes Sturdy.
