The A1C test is a blood test that provides information about your average blood glucose, often known as blood sugar, levels during the previous three months. The A1C test can detect type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. 1 The A1C test is the most often utilized for diabetes treatment.
Changes in red blood cells or hemoglobin can impact A1C testing.
A1C levels can be affected by conditions that shorten the life of red blood cells, such as recent blood loss, sickle cell disease, erythropoietin treatment, hemodialysis, or transfusion.
Falsely high A1C levels can develop in those who are iron deficient, such as those with iron-deficiency anemia NIH external link. Kidney failure or liver dysfunction are two more causes of incorrect A1C readings.
An A1C test can be unreliable for diagnosing or monitoring diabetes and prediabetes if you are of African, Mediterranean, or Southeast Asian heritage or have family members with sickle cell anemia or thalassemia NIH external link. People in these groups may have a distinct form of hemoglobin, known as a hemoglobin variation, which can cause some A1C tests to fail. Most people with a hemoglobin variant have no symptoms and may be unaware that they have this type of hemoglobin. However, your doctor may suspect interference when your A1C and blood glucose test results do not match (a deceptively high or low result).
For those with a hemoglobin variation, only some A1C tests are accurate. People who receive misleading results from one type of A1C test may require another form of A1C test to determine their average blood glucose level. The NGSP informs healthcare providers which A1C tests are appropriate for specific hemoglobin variants. External hyperlink
How accurate is the A1C test?
When the A1C test is repeated, the result can be somewhat higher or lower than the first reading. This means that an A1C of 6.8 percent on one test could be reported as a range of 6.4 to 7.2 percent on a follow-up test from the same blood sample. 3 This range used to be wider, but new, stronger quality-control standards guarantee more exact A1C test findings.
Healthcare practitioners can visit https://en.wondfo.com/pt/index17.html External link to learn more about the accuracy of the A1C machines utilized in their lab.
