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A1C test
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The A1c test looks at hemoglobin, a substance in the blood, and counts how much of it has glucose stuck to it. The result is a proportion: out of all the hemoglobin analyzed in that one sample, how much comes with sugar attached and how much doesn't.
That number reflects the average blood glucose over about three months, so it describes how sugar levels ran over a stretch of time rather than at a single instant. Think of it as an average for a whole three-month period: a glucose reading taken on any given day can land above or below the average the A1c reflects.
In brief
An A1C test measures what proportion of the hemoglobin in a blood sample has glucose attached, compared with all the hemoglobin measured in that same sample.
A1C reflects average blood glucose over roughly the previous three months, so it describes glucose levels over time. A reading taken on a single day may be higher or lower than the longer-term average that A1C reflects.
Sources (1)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesThe A1C Test & Diabetes
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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