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A1C DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN ADULTS

Introduction

Diabetes is defined as a lifelong condition characterized by a raised blood glucose level. The disease is known to affect both young and old. There are two major types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is more common especially in adults than type 1 diabetes. Prediabetes is also a condition associated with diabetes whereby the blood sugar levels are higher than the average level but not high enough to be termed as diabetes. Signs of diabetes include fatigue an increased sense of thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, muscle loss, wounds or cuts that heal slowly and blurred vision. It is critical for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible and in cases where it’s left untreated, the condition gets progressively worse. Research has continued to invent new ways of diagnosing the disease before its gets to levels that affect the patients’ health or lead to other parts malfunctioning such as the heart and the kidney.

New diagnostic tool for adults

American Diabetes Association (ADA) has issued an addition to the tools currently used to diagnose type 1, Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. ADA has proposed and accepted the A1C or the hemoglobin A1C to the list of tools for diagnosing diabetes.  The A1C tools have been comfortably used in adults aged 35 years and above. The new invention comes at a time when CDC, (Centre for Disease Control) has released statistics which indicate that 57 million people in the United States already have prediabetes, 1.6 million new diagnoses are made annually, approximately 24 million people are living with diabetes Type 2 and 5.7 million of the population are undiagnosed (Fennel, 2012). Past standard tests undertaken to diagnose diabetes include FPG test (fasting plasma glucose) that entails taking tests from a patient who has not eaten or drank for the past 8 hours. The second test is OGTT, (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) that measure the response of a person’s blood glucose after consumption of a glucose-rich drink that is usually administered after eight hours without drinks or food. A1C will be another option for  patients who wish to know their blood glucose levels.

How the test is undertaken

The hemoglobin A1C test involves drawing small amounts of blood from the person being tested. The concentration of the red blood which has glucose molecules attached to them is observed. The concentration reflects the concentration of glucose in the blood.  The A1C test gives a weighted average of the blood glucose for the previous 2 or 3 months, and also the red blood cells used in the blood sample are a mixture of cells of different ages. An A1C level that is mostly for patients with diabetes is usually below seven.  An A1C level of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates that the person’s glucose level within the prediabetes range while in cases where the A1C is 6.5% or above, indicates that a person is diabetic.  ADA recommends that most of the people with diabetes maintain a goal of keeping their A1C levels at or below seven to efficiently manage their disease. Controlling one’s glucose levels as been known to prevent the serious complication relate to the diabetic condition such as nerve damage, kidney disease, eye and gum problems.

Advantages of using the hemoglobin A1C test.

The A1C test does not involve fasting, and it’s one of the ways to encourage more people to get tested for Diabetes Type2, and this would reduce the number of individuals that are undiagnosed. Taking the test would ensure that the number of people living with the chronic and life threatening disease is significantly reduced. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented especially when the lifestyle changes are applied while the blood glucose levels in one’s blood are in the prediabetes range.  Early detection of the diabetic condition can make an enormous difference in a person’s quality of life as it would be easier to deal with the condition than when it detected late (Diabetes In Control, 2014) (Diabetes In Control, 2014).

The most severe cases of diagnosis and the group that would benefit most from treatment are those diagnosed using the A1C method. The A1C test utilizes plasma glucose that is recommended internationally making the diagnostic procedure compliance to the most recent international guidelines on diabetes. The test is also applicable in areas with a sparse population as mobile clinics can be scheduled and as people do not need to fast before the tests are taken then the number of individuals to be tested in such areas would be high (Diabetes, 2014).

Conclusion

Testing for diabetes using the hemoglobin A1C diagnostic tool has been tried and used extensively in the United States of America, United Kingdom and other parts of the world. Research continues to find ways of reducing the number of people who are living unaware of their blood glucose levels and who might be risking their quality lives to the diabetic condition.  New inventions continue to emerge as the number of undiagnosed cases of diabetes remains high. New ways are being invented to ensure that more people go for testing to prevent late diagnosis.

References

Diabetes. (2014, August 13). Retrieved from www.nhs.UK http://www.nhs.uk///Diabetes /conditions /diabetes//Diabetes.aspx

Diabetes In Control. (2014, January 15). ADA’s (American Diabetes Association) new clinical practice recommendations Promote A1C as Diagnostic Test for Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes. Retrieved from diabetesincontrol.com: http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/american-diabetes-associations-new-clinical-practice-recommendations-promote-a1c-as-diagnostic-test-for-diabetes-and-pre-diabetes/

Fennel, D. (2012, January 15). A1C Recommended as Diagnostic Tool. Retrieved from Diabetesselfmanagement: http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/a1c-recommended-as-diagnostic-tool/