{"id":12198,"date":"2024-05-03T15:27:14","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T07:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicare-asia.com\/?p=12198"},"modified":"2024-05-03T15:27:14","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T07:27:14","slug":"what-is-a-diabetes-hba1c-test-and-its-importance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/what-is-a-diabetes-hba1c-test-and-its-importance\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Diabetes HbA1c Test and its Importance?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"12198\" class=\"elementor elementor-12198\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9611f1b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9611f1b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b7d102e\" data-id=\"b7d102e\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0fa9de elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f0fa9de\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 24-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before physical symptoms of diabetes are even noticed, high levels of blood sugar in the body may already have caused damage to some parts of the body. Keeping checks on your blood sugar levels is just one of the steps you can take to nip potential problems in the bud.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b55422 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1b55422\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the more important tests in diagnosing diabetes is the HbA1c test. \u201cFor people with diabetes, this is an important test as the higher the HbA1c reading, the higher is the risk of developing diabetes-related complications,\u201d says Dr Suzieani binte Zainudin, Associate Consultant, Department of Endocrinology, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth group.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eab4603 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"eab4603\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 24-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">1. What are the different tests to determine if one has diabetes or prediabetes?\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-164c946 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"164c946\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol style=\"list-style-type: lower-alpha;\"><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If any abnormal laboratory test results has been confirmed on repeat testing,<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the presence of typical symptoms of diabetes such as increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger with unexplained weight loss and the laboratory readings meeting the criteria above, or<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">admission to hospital for excessive glucose in the bloodstream or severe hyperglycaemia, which is due to the worsening of the symptoms mentioned above (b), and this is termed hyperglycaemic crisis.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile prediabetes (a condition where the blood sugar level is abnormally high in a person but not all of the symptoms of a person with diabetes are present), which is impaired fasting glycaemia or impaired glucose tolerance, is diagnosed using the criteria as stated in the table above.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2910cfa elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2910cfa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">2. What is HbA1c?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4eed484 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4eed484\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A term commonly used in relation to diabetes, HbA1c stands for glycated haemoglobin, which is haemoglobin to which glucose is bound.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-95e98f8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"95e98f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">3. How is it measured?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b55eb4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2b55eb4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is measured using a laboratory blood test with blood drawn from vein (venal method) or point-of-care testing, which uses blood from a finger-prick.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3dd53d9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3dd53d9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">4. What does the test measure?\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5579186 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5579186\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It measures the control of one\u2019s blood glucose level over the previous three months, from the date of testing.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a503d29 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a503d29\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">5. Why is this measurement important to people who have diabetes?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b78430f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b78430f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This measurement is important as large-scale trials have shown evidence that its value can predict the risk of developing complications in various organs such as the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart, in the future.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6257464 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6257464\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">6. Does it give an accurate average measurement of blood glucose?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ebe62a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3ebe62a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has been shown to predict the average blood glucose level via a derived formula. For example, an HbA1c value of 6.7 per cent would predict an average blood glucose level of 8.1mmol\/L based on the formula.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b79b0f8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b79b0f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">7. What can affect the accuracy of this measurement?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c2f031c elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c2f031c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The results can be affected by problems due to interactions with the investigative procedure (assay) used in the measurement. Examples are in renal failure and disorders of haemoglobin, and conditions that affect lifespan of red blood cells such as iron deficiency anaemia. Hence, in these\u200b conditions, alternative methods of monitoring glucose control such as capillary glucose monitoring is needed.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e5257b2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e5257b2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">8. What should the HbA1c levels be?\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b3674d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0b3674d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This level should be kept at 7 per cent or less in most patients except in those with very high risk of low blood glucose level, where it needs to be kept at a higher level.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8f1753b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8f1753b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">9. Which method is preferred and why? The finger-prick or venal blood method.<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6495ccc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6495ccc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The laboratory test using venous blood is preferred in most cases. This is because a laboratory would use a method that undergoes certification and standardisation to maintain the accuracy of test results. On the other hand, the point-of-care testing uses finger-prick blood. Although may not be as accurate, is more convenient as results are rapidly available. Hence, it is deemed suitable for monitoring in most patients.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d96c72e elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d96c72e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">10. What\u2019s a better choice then?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4754fee elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4754fee\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are :<\/span><\/p><ol><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">well with no other medical conditions that may affect the results of the HbA1c test results<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">able to go for venous blood test<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">return for the pick-up of the test results on another day<\/span><\/li><\/ol><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">it will be best to perform the venous blood test to be sent to a laboratory.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b4c0d27 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b4c0d27\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGetting this HbA1c test, as well as other diabetes-related tests, done at least once a year is crucial in helping someone with diabetes manage his or her condition better,\u201d says Dr Suzieani.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3a8983a elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3a8983a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Reference: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthxchange.sg\/diabetes\/essential-guide-diabetes\/diabetes-hba1c-test-why-important#:~:text=A%20term%20commonly%20used%20in,to%20which%20glucose%20is%20bound.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthxchange<\/span><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before physical symptoms of diabetes are even noticed, high levels of blood sugar in the body may already have caused damage to some parts of the body. Keeping checks on your blood sugar levels is just one of the steps you can take to nip potential problems in the bud. One of the more important [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[90,91],"class_list":["post-12198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthier-sg","tag-diabetes","tag-hba1c"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73.png",1080,1080,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73.png",1080,1080,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73.png",1080,1080,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73-300x300.png",300,300,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73-1024x1024.png",1024,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73.png",1080,1080,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73.png",1080,1080,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/73-12x12.png",12,12,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/author\/malik\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/category\/healthier-sg\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Healthier SG<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Before physical symptoms of diabetes are even noticed, high levels of blood sugar in the body may already have caused damage to some parts of the body. Keeping checks on your blood sugar levels is just one of the steps you can take to nip potential problems in the bud. One of the more important&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12198"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12223,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12198\/revisions\/12223"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicare-asia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}