Diabetes mellitus, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar. The hormone called insulin ensures that excess sugar in the blood is used as energy or stored in various organs. Diabetes occurs in cases such as the decrease in the level of this hormone and the insufficient response of the body to the hormone.
What is the HbA1c Test?
The disease is first in people; It causes symptoms such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, and weight loss. As diabetes progresses, it can cause many serious problems such as eye problems, kidney failure, susceptibility to infection, non-healing wounds, especially on the feet, and cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, people diagnosed with diabetes should regularly use the drugs prescribed by the doctor and should not include foods containing high sugar in their diet.
When these methods are applied, blood sugar is controlled. Controlled diabetes reduces the likelihood of complications and improves the person's quality of life. It is also of great importance for diabetics to have regular check-ups in the course of the disease. If the disease control is not sufficient in line with the results of the tests requested by the doctor, the drug dose or treatment method can be changed, and if it is sufficient, the treatment is continued in the same way.
The questions 'What does HbA1c mean? It is a routinely used marker.'
The most commonly used methods for measuring blood sugar are glucose measurements from blood or urine. Although these tests are very reliable methods of showing the patient's blood sugar level, they provide information about the instant status of the patient. Even in healthy people, blood sugar can rise or fall during the day for different reasons. For example, blood sugar; It can be affected by many conditions such as eating, having an infection, being on a menstrual period, and post-exercise. The
HbA1c test shows the patient's average sugar level in the past 2-3 months. Therefore, it is a very useful test in the follow-up of sugar control. It reflects the general state of the patient for 2-3 months rather than the instant or daily situation� is. This test, which has been in use since the 1980s, also helps in the diagnosis of diabetes and prediabetes. For the test, blood must be taken from a vein and the blood sample must be analyzed by the laboratory. The HbA1c test is a method that measures the amount of glucose bound to the hemoglobin protein. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Hemoglobin is a dynamic molecule that is constantly being made and broken down. The average life expectancy of a hemoglobin protein produced in the body is 3 months. When there is an excess of glucose in the blood, the amount of binding to hemoglobin increases. Therefore, the measured HbA1c value increases. The reason behind the test showing the general sugar control in the last 2-3 months is related to the life span of hemoglobin. If the sugar control is insufficient and the patient's blood glucose levels are constantly high, the HbA1c test result will be high. It is recommended that patients with Type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar is in the target range should have it twice a year
What is HbA1c Normal Value?
HbA1c test results are given in percentile. High HbA1c means high blood sugar. High HbA1c values pose a risk in terms of diabetes and diabetes-related complications. In a healthy person, the HbA1c value is considered to be 5.7 and below. If the test result of the person is in the range of 5.7-6.4, the person has prediabetes (hidden sugar). This means that the person is more likely to have diabetes in the future. A person with values of 6.5 and above in two different Hba1c measurements is diabetic. If the HbA1c value is 8 and above, it means that sugar control cannot be done properly. A person with these results is more likely to have complications such as vision problems, heart attack, and kidney failure due to diabetes. However, the person's age, general health status, concomitant diseases, diabetes Conditions such as the severity of n may affect the ideal value. For example, values less than 7 can be targeted for a person who has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the age of 30 and does not have any additional disease. It will be beneficial for diabetics to determine the target value that will be suitable for them together with their doctor. The percentage of HbA1c is directly proportional to blood glucose. For example, a HbA1c value of 6 means that the average blood glucose level of the person in the last 2-3 months has been 126 mg/dL. When the HbA1c value is 8, this number increases to 183 and when it is 10, it increases to 240. These conditions:
- Due to heavy or chronic bleeding, a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin may be observed. This leads to low test results.
- Test results may be high in case of iron deficiency anemia.
- There are several subtypes of hemoglobin. As in thalassemia (Mediterranean anemia) carriers and patients, the test result of people with different hemoglobin types may be affected by this condition.
- Test results may be low in patients with hemolytic anemia with increased hemoglobin destruction, and in people receiving blood transfusion (transplant).
How to Lower HbA1c?
HbA1c value can be lowered by lifestyle changes in diet and exercise regimen, as well as medication. However, it may not be safe for patients at risk of hypoglycemia (too low blood sugar) to set an HBA1c target of less than 7. For this reason, the patient should first determine the ideal HbA1c value with his doctor. A healthy diet is of great importance in the control of diabetes. It is recommended that the person consume fewer calories than they burn, avoid foods containing trans fat and refined sugar, and not consume excessive amounts of processed foods. Although sugar taken from natural foods such as vegetables and fruits is more innocent, the amount of carbohydrates consumed should be under control. Grapes with high sugar content, such as watermelon If the berries are to be eaten, they should be consumed in small portions. In controlling blood sugar:
- Broccoli
- Seafood
- Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds
- Nuts, almonds
- Okra
- Flaxseed
- Legumes
- Cabbage
- Chia seeds
- Cherry, raspberry
- Oats
- Avocados
- Citrus fruits
- Yogurt, kefir
- Eggs
- It is beneficial to consume foods such as apples.
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