Hemoglobin A1C Test - Quest lab draw
Measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. This blood test helps determine whether you're at risk for prediabetes or diabetes.
If you have diabetes, HbA1c testing can help you and your healthcare provider know how well you're managing your blood sugar levels over time. The HbA1c Test reports the percentage of hemoglobin in our blood that is coated with sugar. A higher percentage of HbA1c indicates higher blood sugar levels that shows improper management, which can lead to complications like heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney problems.
Measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. This blood test helps determine whether you're at risk for prediabetes or diabetes.
If you have diabetes, HbA1c testing can help you and your healthcare provider know how well you're managing your blood sugar levels over time. The HbA1c Test reports the percentage of hemoglobin in our blood that is coated with sugar. A higher percentage of HbA1c indicates higher blood sugar levels that shows improper management, which can lead to complications like heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney problems.
Measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. This blood test helps determine whether you're at risk for prediabetes or diabetes.
If you have diabetes, HbA1c testing can help you and your healthcare provider know how well you're managing your blood sugar levels over time. The HbA1c Test reports the percentage of hemoglobin in our blood that is coated with sugar. A higher percentage of HbA1c indicates higher blood sugar levels that shows improper management, which can lead to complications like heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney problems.
WHAT'S TESTED?
Hemoglobin is a protein found only in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the issues back to the lungs. When sugar enters the bloodstream, it attaches and sticks to hemoglobin molecules to form Hemoglobin A1c. The hemoglobin A1c Test is an important tool used by healthcare professionals for the screening, diagnosis and management of prediabetes and diabetes. This blood test measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months.
WHY TEST?
Blood glucose is the main sugar found in your bloodstream. The sugar comes from the food you eat and supplies energy to all cells in the body. However, it needs to stay within safe levels to reduce the risk of diabetes and associated disorders such as heart disease. Your body also needs insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps store glucose in the liver, muscles and fat controls the amount of glucose in your blood and regulates how your body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. When you don't have enough insulin or it isn't working properly, the body cannot effectively process blood sugar resulting in high blood sugar levels and ultimately diabetes. If high blood sugar levels are left untreated, you may develop a chronic health condition that may lead to damage to many bodily systems, including blindness, limb amputation, heart disease, heart attach (myocardial infarction), stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, skin disorders and an increased risk for limb amputation.
SIGNS and SYMPTOMS:
Signs and symptoms of diabetes may be hard to recognize or go unnoticed. You may consider discussing your risk factors for diabetes with your healthcare provider or getting an HbA1c Test if you're experiencing the following symptoms:
Frequent urination
Increased thirst
Excessive hunger
Extreme fatigue
Dry mouth
Dry eyes
Blurred vision
Yeast infections
Unexplained weight loss
Itchy skin
Slow-healing cuts, bruises or sores
Pain, numbness, or tingling in the hands, feet or legs
Nausea and vomiting
Extremely dry skin
Frequent infections
Darkening and thickening of the skin on the neck, elbows, underarms, knuckles, groin or knees.
TEST PREP: You do not need to do anything special to prepare for the sample collection. Fasting is not required for this test.