"How Hemoglobin A1C and eAG Indicate Your Diabetes Control" - Vanessa Caceres
Tracking all the numbers involved with diabetes care can get confusing. In addition to measuring blood glucose numbers, doctors will also want to measure hemoglobin A1C, which is the average blood sugar level for the previous two to three months. "It measures the percentage of hemoglobin - a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen - that has been coated in sugar," says Gregory Dodell, MD, an assistant clinical professor of endocrinology, diabetes, and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Both hemoglobin A1C and eAG are part of diabetes control but they should be considered within your overall health picture. "If someone with diabetes has wide fluctuations in glucose value, with many highs and lows, their A1C may be at goal. However, they are not optimally controlled," Dr. Dodell explains. "Wide fluctuations in glucose values may have a long-term impact and certainly can affect quality of life."
- Gregory Dodell, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Bone Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai