A1C test is a method of checking a diabetic person's glucose level for a longer period of time. This test is almost similar to the daily blood test when it comes to procedure. All the patient would really need is to contribute a bit of blood, and submit it for testing. Nonetheless, this check often shows a more concrete "history" of the person's average blood glucose control. This is primarily used to determine whether or not the diabetic treatment plan of a particular person is working. Adjustments are usually made after each test so as to accommodate the health needs of the diabetic person in question. Simply put, diabetics usually react differently to prescribed diets, medicines and treatments - so monitoring A1C level is usually critical during the early diagnostic and treatment stages.A1C is known by many terms, like glycated hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1C, HbA1c, and Hb1c. This component of the blood is very reliable when it comes to identifying the average glucose concentration in the plasma, even and especially after a lapse of 2 or 3 months.
The A1C test relies on the actual "memory" of the A1C hemoglobin. When the diabetic person has high levels of blood sugar for a particular week, that memory is embedded in the DNA structure of the A1C, particularly in the red blood cells. At the same time, that memory also records levels of blood sugar dipping below normal, or when the glucose remains constant during the treatment period. This memory can be retained for as long as the red blood cells remain alive - and that is approximately 120 days. After that, the cells die and are quickly replaced by other A1C "memory" keeping red blood cells. This is primarily the reason why this important medical check must be conducted within a span of only a couple of months. Every 2 months is most preferably, but allowances can be made for up to 3 months, but no more. This is to ensure that the "memory" that the cells carry do have sufficient history for comparison.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the curses of the 21st century. Nine out of ten of people diagnosed with the condition are overweight, yet many people do not seem to realize the relationship between diabetes and their dietary habits. The trend over recent years towards a diet that is high in fat and which contains large quantities of highly processed food stuffs combined with a sedentary lifestyle is considered to be the root cause of type 2 diabetes.
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