GOLUCOSE

The main application of glucose measurement is to identify and control the treatment of patients with diabetes.
Other uses of glucose measurement include the detection of hypoglycemia in newborns, pancreatic cancer,
and the evaluation of carbohydrate metabolism in various diseases.

HbA1c

Hemoglobin A1C is a glycosylated hemoglobin that is formed during a non-enzymatic reaction of glucose binding to the normal hemoglobin molecule.
This process occurs during the life of the red blood cell in the circulation
(the average life of a red blood cell is 100 to 120 days).
The degree of glycosylated hemoglobin is directly proportional to the blood glucose concentration.
Measuring HbA1C is a good indicator for monitoring the treatment of diabetic patients.
An increase in HbA1C indicates a high average blood glucose concentration over the 6 to 8 weeks prior to the test.
Since the life of red blood cells is 120 days, even if the blood glucose level is within normal values,
high HbA1C is a good predictor of diabetes mellitus. Clinical studies have shown that lowering HbA1C levels can help prevent or delay the complications of diabetes.
Since HbA1C is also dependent on hemoglobin,
reported HbA1C values are an indicator of total hemoglobin concentration.
Falsely low values (low HbA1C despite high blood glucose) occur in people with short red blood cell lifespans (hemolytic anemia) or those who have recently lost blood.
Falsely high values (high HbA1C despite normal blood glucose) are seen in iron deficiency anemia (high proportion of old red blood cells).