The test which is abbreviated and known as the HbA1c to many diabetics, is really called glycated hemoglobin. This test looks at how the amount of sugar in your blood has damaged your blood proteins and shows a real picture of your average blood sugar level during the past three months. It is the main way of tracking your sugar control.
The American Diabetes Association’s goal is to have your HbA1c under 7 per cent; many health care providers are even setting lower goals of between 6 and 6.5 per cent. Now this may surprise you, but there are a few health care providers who insist that people with diabetes could and should achieve normal blood sugars. These are quite disciplined levels but achieving those really should eliminate any health complications that could be caused by high blood sugar levels.
Normal Levels would be:
- 1 hour after eating … …120 mg/dl (6.7 mmol/l)
- 2 hours after eating … 85 mg/dl (4.7 mmol/l)
- Fasting Blood Sugar … 85 mg/dl (4.7 mmol/l)
- HbA1c result … … 4.3% to 5.4%
The next range is also below the levels associated with diabetic complications and includes:
- 1 hour after eating … … under 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/l)
- 2 hours after eating … under 120 mg/dl (6.7 mmol/l)
- Fasting Blood Sugar … under 110 mg/dl (6.1 mmol/l)
- HbA1c result … … 5.0% to 5.9%
So the real key to recovering your good health is to choose a group of healthy blood sugar levels and do whatever it takes to reach them!
If you are not making good progress towards you goal, check the following:
- are you overweight? Weight loss is a strong predictor of a drop in your HbA1c.
- are you eating healthy carbohydrates? Let the glycemic index (GI) help you chose the best.
- do you have a cold, a urinary tract infection, a sore on your foot?
- how is your stress level? Do you have job worries, financial difficulties?
- are you exercising … exercise will help reduce your blood sugar level
In many instances the above five steps will help lower your blood sugars. If your level remains high, don’t hesitate to contact your health care provider.