6.2 A1c To Glucose

What Is A Prediabetes Diet

A diet for prediabetes looks a lot different than a typical American one.

I like to tell my clients to reserve half of your plate for vegetables, a quarter of your plate for protein, and a quarter of your plate for healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains and fruit, says McKittrick.

A person with prediabetes should not eat processed carbohydrates that are high in sugar, but instead get carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, legumes, and starchy vegetables .

If you want to cut out carbs, you certainly can, but you dont have to, McKittrick says. They taste good, they give you energy, and usually it’s not sustainable to give them up completely.

Also shoot for 25 to 30 grams of fiber from food each day, as fiber-rich foods such as oatmeal and crunchy vegetables improve insulin resistance and keep you fuller, longer.

What Do Your A1c Results Mean

The A1C test measures the glucose in your blood by assessing the amount of whats called glycated hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein within red blood cells. As glucose enters the bloodstream, it binds to hemoglobin, or glycates. The more glucose that enters the bloodstream, the higher the amount of glycated hemoglobin, Dr. Dodell says.

According to the ADA, A1C level below 5.7 percent is considered normal. An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 percent signals prediabetes, according to the ADA. Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when the A1C is at or over 6.5 percent. For many people with type 2 diabetes, the goal is to lower A1C levels to a healthier percentage.

Your A1C goal is specific to you. Several factors come into play, such as your age, how advanced the diabetes is, and any other heath conditions you have. A common A1C goal for people with diabetes is less than 7 percent, Dodell says. If you can keep your A1C number below your goal, you help to reduce the risk of diabetes complications, such as nerve damage and eye problems.

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How To Reduce Prediabetes A1c Levels

There are lots of ways to lower your A1c levels and bring your results back into the normal range. A healthy diet, exercise plan, and stopping smoking are a must. Remember, your A1c level is your estimated average glucose, and you must monitor it regularly.

Below, you can find the top 3 steps to reduce your blood sugar levels.

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Prediabetes Flies Under The Radar

You can have prediabetes for years without symptoms. This means you likely wont know you have prediabetes until serious health problems show up. Talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have any of the risk factors for prediabetes, including:

• Being overweight
• Being 45 years or older
• Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
• Being physically active less than 3 times a week
• Ever having gestational diabetes or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds

Race and ethnicity are also a factor. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk.

Ready to find out your risk? Take the 1-minute prediabetes risk test and be sure to share the results with your doctor.

Family History Of Type 2 Diabetes

Prediabetes has a hereditary factor. If someone in your immediate family has T2Dor has had T2D in the pastyou are more likely to develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes yourself.

Your race and ethnicity also affect your likelihood of developing prediabetes. There is a genetic component, but research has shown that racial disparities in who develops diabetes have more to do with socio-economic status and the accessibility of health care and healthy food in your community than your genes.

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What Is A Good A1c Level

According to the CDC, a normal A1C level is below 5.7, a level of 5.7 to 6.4 indicates prediabetes, and a level of 6.5 or higher would indicate diabetes.

Within the 5.7 to 6.4 prediabetes range, the risk for developing type 2 diabetes goes up each time the number increases.

While levels below 4.0 are theoretically possible, they aren’t common. Similarly, it would be extremely rare to have an A1C over 15.0.

How To Lower Your A1c: The Complete Guide

We are always told that having a low A1c is an important goal in our diabetes management, but do you know why? Do you know what a good A1c target is, how to lower your A1c, and how quickly you can lower your A1c safely?

These are the questions I will answer in this comprehensive guide on what A1c is, how to lower your A1c, and why achieving a low A1c isnt the only goal when it comes to diabetes management.

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How Often Do You Measure A1c

Your doctor will want to see what your A1C results is 2-4 times a year, and will typically order this lab with other important labs when its time for your blood draw. You can buy at home A1c test kits at your local pharmacy for approximately $20-$40. The kits in this price range usually include 2 tests and you can see the results in about 5 minutes. It is possible to see a significant change in your A1C in a one month time period, but the test typically isnt done too often because red blood cells only turnover about every 120 days. On the plus side, if you have made some changes in the month prior to going to visit your doctor, those positive changes in the last 30 days are going to make more of an impact on your result than what you did 2 months ago.

A1c Differences In Ethnic Populations And Children

In the ADAG study, there were no significant differences among racial and ethnic groups in the regression lines between A1C and mean glucose, although the study was underpowered to detect a difference and there was a trend toward a difference between the African and African American and the non-Hispanic White cohorts, with higher A1C values observed in Africans and African Americans compared with non-Hispanic Whites for a given mean glucose. Other studies have also demonstrated higher A1C levels in African Americans than in Whites at a given mean glucose concentration . In contrast, a recent report in Afro-Caribbeans found lower A1C relative to glucose values . Taken together, A1C and glucose parameters are essential for the optimal assessment of glycemic status.

A small study comparing A1C to CGM data in children with type 1 diabetes found a highly statistically significant correlation between A1C and mean blood glucose, although the correlation was significantly lower than in the ADAG trial . Whether there are clinically meaningful differences in how A1C relates to average glucose in children or in different ethnicities is an area for further study . Until further evidence is available, it seems prudent to establish A1C goals in these populations with consideration of individualized CGM, BGM, and A1C results. Limitations in perfect alignment between glycemic measurements do not interfere with the usefulness of BGM/CGM for insulin dose adjustments.

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A Christmas Gift To People With Diabetes From Polymer

• David Mendosa at

  Resume eating daily, Paula! Particularly plain whole milk Greek yogurt. And elimination grains and potatoes as much as possible. Eat food, not medifast.

How Precise Is The A1c Test

When repeated, the A1C test result can be slightly higher or lower than the first measurement. This means, for example, an A1C reported as 6.8 percent on one test could be reported in a range from 6.4 to 7.2 percent on a repeat test from the same blood sample.3 In the past, this range was larger but new, stricter quality-control standards mean more precise A1C test results.

Health care professionals can visit www.ngsp.org to find information about the precision of the A1C test used by their lab.

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A1c Levels Explanation And A1c Calculator

Your A1C test result can be a good general gauge of your diabetes control, because it provides an average blood glucose level over the past few months.

Unlike daily blood glucose test results, which are reported as mg/dL, A1C is reported as a percentage. This can make it difficult to understand the relationship between the two. For example, if you check blood glucose 100 times in a month, and your average result is 190 mg/dL this would lead to an A1C of approximately 8.2%, which is above the target of 7% or lower recommended by the American Diabetes Association for many adults who are not pregnant. For some people, a tighter goal of 6.5% may be appropriate, and for others, a less stringent goal such as 8% may be better.1 Talk to your doctor about the right goal for you.

My Glucose Fasting Level Is 62 What Does This Level Mean Exactly

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What Is The A1c Test

The A1C test is a blood test that provides information about your average levels of blood glucose, also called blood sugar, over the past 3 months. The A1C test can be used to diagnose type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.1 The A1C test is also the primary test used for diabetes management.

The A1C test is sometimes called the hemoglobin A1C, HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin, or glycohemoglobin test. Hemoglobin is the part of a red blood cell that carries oxygen to the cells. Glucose attaches to or binds with hemoglobin in your blood cells, and the A1C test is based on this attachment of glucose to hemoglobin.

The higher the glucose level in your bloodstream, the more glucose will attach to the hemoglobin. The A1C test measures the amount of hemoglobin with attached glucose and reflects your average blood glucose levels over the past 3 months.

The A1C test result is reported as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher your blood glucose levels have been. A normal A1C level is below 5.7 percent.

Blood Glucose Levels Move Up And Down

Your results can vary because of natural changes in your blood glucose level. For example, your blood glucose level moves up and down when you eat or exercise. Sickness and stress also can affect your blood glucose test results. A1C tests are less likely to be affected by short-term changes than FPG or OGTT tests.

The following chart shows how multiple blood glucose measurements over 4 days compare with an A1C measurement.

Blood Glucose Measurements Compared with A1C Measurements over 4 Days

The straight black line shows an A1C measurement of 7.0 percent. The blue line shows an example of how blood glucose test results might look from self-monitoring four times a day over a 4-day period.

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Target Levels In People With Diabetes

A doctor will set a persons target A1C level based on many factors. The right target varies from person to person.

For someone with diabetes, the target A1C level may depend on:

• the persons age
• how long they have had diabetes
• their prescribed treatment plan
• any history of adverse effects from the treatment, including episodes of low blood glucose, or hypoglycemia
• any complications from diabetes
• the persons preferences and treatment priorities

In general, a doctor might recommend aiming for A1C levels under 6.5% if a person:

• is young and has a long life expectancy
• has had diabetes for a short period
• is effectively managing their diabetes with lifestyle changes or metformin alone
• is otherwise in good health

A doctor might recommend A1C targets of 7.08.5% if a person:

• is older and has a shorter life expectancy
• has had diabetes for a longer period
• has diabetes that is hard to manage, even with multiple medications
• has a history of severe hypoglycemia or other adverse effects of treatment
• has experienced complications of diabetes
• has other chronic health conditions

A person should work with their doctor to reassess and adjust their A1C targets over time. The condition and treatment goals may change.

To screen for diabetes, a doctor may order an A1C test for someone older than 45. They may also do this for younger people who have other risk factors.

After diagnosing diabetes, a doctor determines how often to test A1C levels.

Symptoms of high blood glucose levels include:

How Is The A1c Test Used To Diagnose Type 2 Diabetes And Prediabetes

Health care professionals can use the A1C test alone or in combination with other diabetes tests to diagnose type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. You dont have to fast before having your blood drawn for an A1C test, which means that blood can be drawn for the test at any time of the day.

If you dont have symptoms but the A1C test shows you have diabetes or prediabetes, you should have a repeat test on a different day using the A1C test or one of the other diabetes tests to confirm the diagnosis.2

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What Are The Results Of The Mayo Clinic A1c Test

Book: Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life! The A1C test measures your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. The results of your A1C test can help your doctor: Identify prediabetes. If you have prediabetes, you have a higher risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Diagnose type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

What Does An A1c Of 62 Mean

An A1C of 6.2 means that you have prediabetes, which puts you at risk for developing diabetes.

The A1c test measures blood sugar over the last three months by looking at the percentage of hemoglobin saturated with sugar. An A1c of 6.2 means that 6.2% of the hemoglobin in your blood are saturated with sugar.

While there are no signs or symptoms of prediabetes, the damage diabetes can have on your heart, blood vessels and kidneys may have already begun.

A score of 6.2 doesnt automatically mean that you will get diabetes. However, you should focus on reducing your A1c score and improving your overall health.

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Why Should A Person Get The A1c Test

Testing can help health care professionals

• find prediabetes and counsel you about lifestyle changes to help you delay or prevent type 2 diabetes
• find type 2 diabetes
• work with you to monitor the disease and help make treatment decisions to prevent complications

If you have risk factors for prediabetes or diabetes, talk with your doctor about whether you should be tested.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

The oral glucose tolerance test takes a little more time than the other two glucose tests for diabetes. In this test, your blood is taken after an overnight fast, and then again two hours after you drink a sugary drink.

Its normal for blood sugar to rise after the drink. Normal blood sugar falls to below 140 mg/dL within two hours, however.

If your blood sugar is between 140 and 199 mg/dL, your doctor will diagnose prediabetes. Anything 200 mg/dL or above is diagnostic for type 2 diabetes.

You should have healthy fats each day as well.

Using the information from your food log, you can begin to make small changes. The goal is to choose less processed, whole foods, instead of highly processed foods that contain added sugar, little fiber, and unhealthy fats.

For example, if you arent eating the recommended servings of vegetables, try adding one serving of vegetables a day to your diet.

You can do this by having a salad with lunch or dinner, or snacking on carrot sticks. Just be careful about add-ons such as salad dressing or dips. They can sneak in unhealthy fats or extra calories. Check out these 10 healthy salad dressing recipes.

Youll also want to work on reducing the number of empty-calorie foods and beverages youre consuming, as well as switching out simple carbohydrate foods for complex carbohydrates. Examples of substitutions you can try to include:

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