Show Background Information I’m a type 1 diabetic and I get a blood test every few months. I’ve seen Hemoglobin A1c test kits at the pharmacy and I wonder if I could just use one of those instead.

A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows hemoglobin A1c levels differ in black and white persons independent of glucose levels. The study looked at 1581 non-Hispanic black and white persons in the Atlanta area between 18 and 87 years of age who did not have known diabetes and were well enough to work and 1967 non-Hispanic black and white persons older than 40 years without known diabetes, who were otherwise representative of the U.S. national population. Researches...

During the normal 120-day life span of the red blood cell, glucose molecules react with hemoglobin forming glycated hemoglobin.  A few decades ago researchers discovered that in individuals with poorly controlled diabetes, the quantities of these glycated hemoglobins are much higher than in healthy people. Once a hemoglobin molecule is glycated, it remains that way. A buildup of glycated hemoglobin within the red blood cell therefore reflects the average level of glucose to which the cell has been exposed during its 3 month life...

Good news for anyone who’s not up-to-date on their hemoglobin A1c tests (a simple blood test that gives an idea of your average blood glucose levels over the previous three months): in honor of diabetes awareness month, Walgreens is giving them away for free. Click here for more information, including a store locator — but make sure to call ahead: the tests are taking place at one-day clinics and are not available all the time. I’m personally psyched because I have an endocrinologist’s appointment this Friday...

Glucose, that innocuous sweet molecule, is reactive. Chemically, what happens is that glucose has a slight reducing capacity (i.e. the capacity to accept electrons) and it is quite happy to accept electrons from the epsilon amino group of the amino acid, lysine. Lysine is found in virtually every protein and when that electron is shared it creates an irreversible chemical bond between the glucose and the protein. The protein has become glycosylated and your diabetes complications have begun. Clinically, glycosylation is a very useful...

I just got my A1c back and have had a hard time finding a calculator online to see what the number actually correlates to, average blood sugar-wise. So just in case you’re having the same problem, here’s one from Accucheck (there’s a link on the upper right hand side of the screen). When I was diagnosed eight years ago, I believe that my A1c was a completely insane 11.4. That’s a three-month average of 321, people! It’s amazing that I didn’t pass out.