Diabetes Type 2 is a prevalent disease with cases growing each year. Type 1 diabetes is also a concern especially regarding disease management. A useful assessment tool/technique for monitoring blood glucose levels for both type 1 and 2 is the A1C test. Otherwise known as the glycated hemoglobin test, the blood test provides the patient with information on the average blood sugar level within the past two to three months (Leong et al., 2017). A1C also measures blood sugar percentage attached to hemoglobin or oxygen-carrying protein within red blood cells. It is a great tool for people concerned with development of type 2 diabetes and those managing type 1 diabetes.
In a recent article on the effectiveness of A1C, researchers identified that the test can effectively determine potential for diabetes in patients. “Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) can be used to assess type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. HbA1c predicts T2D in different common scenarios and is useful for identifying individuals with elevated T2D risk in both the short- and long-term” (Leong et al., 2017, p. 60). Patients can use other tests like fasting glucose. Nonetheless, A1C provides a more accurate reading. This is because of the time frame of measurement. By measuring months-worth of blood sugar levels, A1C shows how long someone may have high blood sugar levels allowing for a more effective diagnosis.
Stuck Writing Your "Type 2 Diabetes Education" Essay?
Additionally, A1C provides a good management tool for type 1 diabetics because by takin the test 4 times a year, they can see how well they have maintained their blood sugar levels. While daily assessment for this group is important, it is also important to see long-term effects of their diabetes management protocols. This can help determine the amount of insulin they may need and so forth. A1C is a great assessment tool that can determine not just potential for diabetes and diabetes management, but also characteristics that may be associated with diabetes.
For instance, another study measured the effectiveness of A1C and fasting glucose. They associated several health conditions with those that tested more likely to develop diabetes or already have diabetes.
A total of 6.9% of people categorized as having prediabetes based on A1c and fasting glucose would be categorized as having diabetes based on 2-h plasma glucose. They were more likely to have hypertension, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, albuminuria and elevated alanine aminotransferase (Menke, Rust, & Cowie, 2017, p. 46).
Such information is important to know regarding diabetes education. Diabetes type 2 often results from poor lifestyle choices that can….....
Leong, A., Daya, N., Porneala, B., Devlin, J. J., Shiffman, D., McPhaul, M. J., … Meigs, J. B. (2017). Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes by Hemoglobin A 1c in Two Community-Based Cohorts. Diabetes Care, 41(1), 60-68. doi:10.2337/dc17-0607
Menke, A., Rust, K. F., & Cowie, C. C. (2017). Diabetes based on 2-h plasma glucose among those classified as having prediabetes based on fasting plasma glucose or A1c. Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research, 15(1), 46-54. doi:10.1177/1479164117739316
Young, C. F., Yun, K., Kang, E., Shubrook, J. H., & Dugan, J. A. (2018). Correlations Between A1C and Diabetes Knowledge, Diabetes Numeracy, and Food Security in a Vulnerable Type 2 Diabetes Population. Diabetes Spectrum, ds170036. doi:10.2337/ds17-0036
