|
New Standard for Measuring Blood Sugar |
|
|
|
|
Harvard Heart Letter | February 2008
Heart Beat: New blood sugar measure
Controlling
blood sugar is one way to combat the many complications of diabetes,
one of which is heart disease. That’s why people with diabetes are
encouraged to check their blood sugar at least once a day. Home meters
give an instant snapshot of milligrams of sugar per deciliter of blood
(mg/dL). By contrast, the test that doctors use, which measures
glycated hemoglobin A1C, offers a time-lapse look at blood
sugar levels over several weeks. It is reported as a percentage, which
isn’t easily translated into mg/dL, the measurement most people with
diabetes understand.
Now they’ll tell the same story. The
American Diabetes Association and other diabetes organizations are
setting a standard for measuring glycated hemoglobin A1C.
Results of this blood test will be reported both as a percentage and as
mg/dL. The latter number represents the average blood sugar level over
the preceding three months. This can help people understand how well
they are handling their diabetes over the long run.
|
