Natural Ways To Bring Normal Range Of Hba1c
Those who have higher levels of HbA1c can bring down the level of HbA1c to the normal range through medications. Apart from this, there are some natural ways as well which can bring your HbA1c normal. These include:
- Quit smoking to get haemoglobin A1c levels down.
- You should eat a balanced and healthy diet to maintain the immune system and hormonal balance.
- Exercising is another natural way to control the increased glycosylated haemoglobin levels and it helps in losing weight and lowering blood sugar which ultimately results in enhancing insulin sensitivity.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle to keep your blood sugar levels in control.
You can easily achieve this without disturbing your daily schedule like Ms. Dheeraj Sabharwal who has been able to reduce her HbA1c level from 9.8 to 6.2 by switching to a healthy lifestyle with the constant support and motivation of a Diet Coach, Fitness Coach the Diabetologist. She has successfully reversed diabetes while pursuing her teaching profession and also taking care of the family.
Diabetes Blood Sugar Chart: How To Interpret A1c Numbers
The current diabetes statistics are increasing. According to the latest research from the CDC, about 34.2million Americans are living with diabetes and a 88million American adults have pre-diabetes.
The report also shows that newly diagnosed cases of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are on the rise among American youths. In adults, there is much room for improvement in preventing diabetes complications.
As you continue to talk about the diabetes epidemic more often and increasingly, you are creating better support for those living with diabetes.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed with fear, you can approach a diagnosis with a sense of confidence and control, because you can educate and equip yourself with the right resources you need not only to live but thrive with diabetes.
You can begin enjoying this by having the knowledge of knowing the most important number in diabetes diagnosis known as Hemoglobin A1C. Read on to learn how to interpret A1C Numbers.
Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been a diabetes sufferer for a long while tracking your blood sugar is very helpful.
However, it is important to know that tracking your blood sugar is very important even when you are following healthy lifestyle habits to maintain your blood sugar.
If you need to keep a good track of your blood sugar at any time of the day or week and even months you sure need this chart as a reference.
It is also referred to as HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin test, and glycohemoglobin.
Reasons For Fluctuations In Hba1c Normal Range
Use of Insulin, fasting, oral intake of glucose, or frequent fluctuations in your blood sugar levels are the most common reasons for the alteration in glycosylated hemoglobin levels. If people with diabetes notice the fluctuations in their glycosylated Hb level, they should consult doctors to maintain their HbA1c levels at the normal range. This helps in reducing risks and avoiding complications due to diabetes.
Getting rid of Insulin and other medications by proper sleeping, eating, and workout habits sounds impossible. But I have come across many people who have been able to regularise their Glycosylated Haemoglobin Levels and live a healthy life after successful Diabetes Reversal.
Also Read:List of Important Blood Sugar Tests
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Benefits Of Lowering Your A1c Test Result
Keeping your A1C test results low can significantly reduce the risk of long-term diabetes complications such as nerve problems, damage to your eyes, kidney disease and heart problems.3
1American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes2017 . Diabetes Care. 2017 40: S1-S135. Available at: . Accessed July 28, 2017.
2Nathan DM, Kuenen J, Borg R, Zheng H, Schoenfeld D, Heine RJ. Translating the A1C assay into estimated average glucose values. Diabetes Care. 2008 31: 1473-1478. Available at . Accessed July 28, 2017.
3American Diabetes Association. A1C and eAG. Available at: . Accessed July 28, 2017.
4Tylee TS, Trence DL. Glycemic variability: looking beyond the A1C. Diabetes Spectrum. 2012 24: 149-153. Available at . Accessed July 28, 2017.
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Target Blood Sugar Levels In Children With Diabetes
Children younger than 6 years old Blood sugar in mg/dL Bedtime 110-200
Children under 6 years of age should have blood glucose levels that range from about 80 to 200 mg/dL each day. This range is considered healthy, and the amount of glucose in a childs body will fluctuate from the time they wake up to after theyve eaten meals and again before bedtime. For this reason, kids with diabetes or hypoglycemic episodes may have to have their blood sugar levels tested in the middle of the night by their parents. Many children with type 1 diabetes wear a continuous glucose monitor , which displays glucose levels all the time and mostly eliminates the need for finger sticks.
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Normal Hba1c For Person Without Diabetes
For someone who does not have diabetes, a normal HbA1C level is below 5.7%. An A1C between 5.7% to 6.4% is indicative of prediabetes.
Its recommended that adults over the age of 45 or adults under 45 who are overweight and have one or more risk factors for diabetes have a baseline A1C checked. If the result is normal, the A1C should be checked every three years. If the result indicates prediabetes, the A1C should be checked every one to two years.
What Are The Advantages Of Reducing Hba1c
Some recent studies depicted that an improvement in HbA1c by 1% for individuals experiencing type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes reduces the risk of microvascular complications by 25%.
Microvascular complications can be:
- Retinopathy
- Diabetic nephropathy
Studies have also found that individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes who lessen their HbA1c level by 1% are:
- 19% less expected to experience cataracts
- 16% less expected to experience heart failure
- 43% less expected to experience amputation or death as a result of peripheral vascular disease.
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What Does Your A1c Number Mean
You will get your results back as a percentage. People without diabetes should be below 5.7%
A result between 5.7% and 6.4% signals prediabetes.
For people with diabetes, an A1c of 7% or less is a common treatment target. Someone who has had untreated diabetes for a long time might have a level above 8%.
If you have diabetes and your level is above your target, your doctor may change your treatment plan to get your level down.
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Blood Sugar Chart: Summary
The fasting blood sugar, 2-hour post-meal blood sugar, and HbA1C tests are important ways to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, as well as indicate how well a persons diabetes is being managed. If you think you have diabetes, its important to not try and diagnose yourself by doing a finger-stick with a home blood glucose meter. There are strict standards and procedures that laboratories use for diagnosing diabetes therefore, you should get tested at your doctors office or at a laboratory.
Its also important to talk with your doctor to make sure you understand a) how often you should have certain tests, such as a fasting blood glucose or HbA1C test b) what your results mean and c) what your blood sugar and HbA1C targets are.
If you have not been previously diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes but your results are above normal, your doctor may recommend other tests and should discuss a plan of treatment with you. Treatment may include lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, a healthy eating plan, and regular physical activity. You may need to start taking diabetes medications, including insulin. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, its recommended that you learn how to check your blood sugars with a meter so that you and your health care team can determine how your treatment plan is working for you.
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A1c Tests Can Be Affected By Changes In Red Blood Cells Or Hemoglobin
Conditions that change the life span of red blood cells, such as recent blood loss, sickle cell disease, erythropoietin treatment, hemodialysis, or transfusion, can change A1C levels.
A falsely high A1C result can occur in people who are very low in iron for example, those with iron-deficiency anemia. Other causes of false A1C results include kidney failure or liver disease.
If youre of African, Mediterranean, or Southeast Asian descent or have family members with sickle cell anemia or a thalassemia, an A1C test can be unreliable for diagnosing or monitoring diabetes and prediabetes. People in these groups may have a different type of hemoglobin, known as a hemoglobin variant, which can interfere with some A1C tests. Most people with a hemoglobin variant have no symptoms and may not know that they carry this type of hemoglobin. Health care professionals may suspect interferencea falsely high or low resultwhen your A1C and blood glucose test results dont match.
Not all A1C tests are unreliable for people with a hemoglobin variant. People with false results from one type of A1C test may need a different type of A1C test to measure their average blood glucose level. The NGSP provides information for health care professionals about which A1C tests are appropriate to use for specific hemoglobin variants.
How Often Should You Have An A1c Lab Test
Your healthcare provider may order an A1C test every three months to monitor diabetes treatment changes, such as adjustments to medications, insulin pump settings, or other areas of diabetes self-management. If your blood glucose is within range and stable, your healthcare provider may only order the test every six months.
If you have not been diagnosed with diabetes, sometimes A1C is used along with other measures to help diagnose diabetes. It may also be used as a baseline measurement for people with a strong family history of diabetes or other risk factors to see if levels are increasing over time.
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Average From A Glucose Meter
Although an A1C level gives you a sense of average glucose levels over the past few months, a person with type 1 or type 2 diabetes needs a blood glucose meter to check blood sugar and make treatment decisions on a day-to-day basis.
If you test often during the day like before and after meals and other times that your blood sugar can vary and use an accurate glucose meter, this can give you valuable information on daily variations in blood sugar levels. Many blood glucose meters are also equipped to provide 7, 14, 30, or 90-day averages. A 90-day average on your meter can be used in the calculator above to estimate how it may correlate to an A1C.
Glucose meter averages are based on the frequency that you have tested per day, so if you do not have many data points or are unable to test at certain times , it probably wont give you a full picture of your blood sugar levels and may skew lower than an A1C test result.
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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.
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What Are The Risks Of Chronic High Blood Glucose Level
Increase your physical activity. You dont have to train to be an Olympic athlete, but you should strive to include a few short walks in your daily routine. Every step is crucial!
- Attempt to reach and maintain a healthy BMI .
- The BMI is the most fundamental indicator, but you should also consider your waist-hip ratio. A large amount of visceral fat has been related to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.
- Maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet. If youre overweight, dont go over your daily calorie restriction, and attempt to eat even less. Say goodbye to processed meals and sweets.
- If you follow those recommendations, your hemoglobin A1C levels will almost certainly improve.
- A higher risk of cardiovascular disease, such as myocardial infarction or stroke.
- Theres a chance youll get chronic renal disease or perhaps kidney failure.
- Nerve injury and paresthesia are more likely.
- There is a high risk of retinopathy and vision loss.
- Infections, including as skin infections and mycoses, are common.
- Difficulties with conceiving,
- Diabetic foot, which could cause amputation!
They may diagnose you with diabetes if your A1C result is equal to or higher than 6.5 percent. If this is the case, make an appointment with your doctor away!
Official Fasting Blood Sugar Ada Recommendation For Someone With Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association recommends a fasting blood sugar target of 80 to 130 mg/dl for most nonpregnant adults with diabetes. However, the fasting blood sugar target may need to be individualized for certain people based on such factors as duration of diabetes, age and life expectancy, cognitive status, other health conditions, cardiovascular complications, and hypoglycemia unawareness. Its important that people with diabetes discuss their target blood sugar goals with their health care provider.
Hba1c Levels And Targets
But everyones different. So your healthcare team may give you an individual target level that takes into account your current level and when your next test is. So you can bring it down in stages and isnt a sudden big drop.
And were not saying its easy to get to and stay at this level. We know its difficult, and were here to give you advice and information to help.
What Is Considered A Normal Blood Sugar Level
The normal blood sugar level for a healthy, non-diabetic adult is determined by when and how blood sugar levels are tested.
The below information describes what normal blood sugar levels are prior to and after meals and what the recommended HbA1c and Haemoglobin A1c levels are for those with and without diabetes.
If you are diabetic, it is advisable to consult with your doctor in order for appropriate blood sugar level targets to be set based on your age, the severity of your condition, medications taken and overall health status.
How Often Is Hba1c Test Required
As per the ADA, diabetes screening is recommended in people with age more than 45 years . Also, it is fine to perform screening at any age, in case a person has risk factors like:
- Being obese or physically inactive
- Having close relative suffering from diabetes
- Had diabetes during pregnancy
- Having symptoms of insulin resistance or conditions related to insulin resistance like hypertension, low good cholesterol, high triglycerides, as well as polycystic ovary syndrome
Patients having diabetes with stable blood sugar levels must go for an hba1c test roughly twice a year. Your doctor might recommend quarterly monitoring in case of:
- A recent diagnosis of diabetes
- Pregnancy-related diabetes
Read More:Signs and Symptoms Of Diabetes
Finally: A1c Is Also Defined As Estimated Average Glucose Or Eag
Another term you may come across when finding out your A1C is eAG. Your doctor might report your A1C results as eAG. eAG is similar to what you see when monitoring your blood sugar at home on your meter. However, because you are more likely to check your blood sugar in the morning and before meals, your meter readings will likely be lower than your eAG.
What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels
You might want to measure your blood sugar before meals to get a baseline, and then two hours after your meal to measure your normal blood sugar level. Your doctor might also suggest measuring blood sugar before bed to be sure you have been eating well throughout the day and can go to sleep with peace of mind.
These are considered within the range of normal for blood sugar:
- Less than 140 mg/dl if you do not have diabetes.
- Less than 180 mg/dl if you have diabetes.
The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
If your doctor suspects insulin resistance and diabetes, they may order a glucose tolerance test .
The results of this test will show how your body breaks down and metabolizes sugar and whether or not you have a problem in that area.
For this test, you drink a sweet solution containing 75g of glucose on an empty stomach. Then blood samples will be taken at 30 or 60-minute intervals for up to 3 hours after drinking the solution.
If you have insulin resistance, your body wont be able to effectively move all that glucose from the blood stream into your cells, therefore, your blood samples will show high blood sugar levels.
A normal result will look like this:
- Glucose levels fasting: 70 to 100 mg/dL
- Glucose levels after 1 hour: less than 200 mg/dL
- Glucose levels after 2 hours: less than 140 mg/dL
If your result doesnt fall within the normal range then you may have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Blood Sugar Level Chart By Age
Blood sugar levels tend to rise with age due to an increase in insulin resistance and decrease in insulin sensitivity. In one study by the National Health Institute , each extra decade of age was linked to a 2.7 mg/dl increase in fasting glucose, and a 4.5 mg/dl increase in 2-hour post-prandial glucose levels.
When Should I Get My Hemoglobin A1c Test
You should test your A1c levels as a preventive test if you are over 45 or under 45 and overweight. You should also consider it if you have one of the diabetes risk factors, such as:
- History of familial diabetes
- Low physical activity
- High blood pressure
- High level of blood cholesterol
- History of gestational diabetes or having given birth to a baby weighing over 9 pounds.
Check out your individual diabetes risk with our comprehensive diabetes risk calculator.