Why do we need to measure glycated hemoglobin?

Aunt Li, a diabetic patient, has been suffering from type 2 diabetes for some time. After controlling her blood sugar in various aspects, she believes that her blood sugar is well controlled and she has no symptoms. The blood sugar values she usually measures are within the standard range. Previously, Aunt Li heard that diabetic patients should go to the hospital to have their glycated hemoglobin (glycated) tested every three months or so. Aunt Li was confused. She usually has good blood sugar control, so why should she go to the hospital to have her glycated hemoglobin tested?

 

  Then we need to first understand what glycated hemoglobin is?

 

  There are red blood cells in our blood that are specifically responsible for transporting oxygen. The red blood cells contain hemoglobin. Hemoglobin has a characteristic, which is that it is very infatuated with sugar. As long as it encounters sugar, it will cling to it and insist on growing old together.

 

The combination of hemoglobin and sugar is "glycated hemoglobin", so as long as there is more sugar in the blood, the content of glycated hemoglobin will be higher, and the lifespan of hemoglobin is generally about 120 days, so testing glycated hemoglobin can reflect nearly 2 to 3 monthly blood sugar levels.

 

  I test my blood sugar every day, seven times a day, and it passes every time. Why do I need to measure glycated hemoglobin?

 

  That's because the blood sugar value measured by the blood glucose meter, whether fasting or before or after a meal, is only the blood sugar value in your body at the time when you took the blood, and blood sugar will fluctuate.

 

  No matter how compliant a diabetic patient is or how diligently they measure their blood sugar, they cannot measure blood sugar all the time. Therefore, even if their fingertip blood sugar reaches the standard, a diabetic patient cannot fully understand the changes in blood sugar at all times, so monitoring of glycated hemoglobin is essential.

 

  In addition, some patients raised questions, does normal glycated hemoglobin mean there is no need to measure fingertip blood sugar?

 

  The answer is yes, even if glycated hemoglobin is measured, blood sugar needs to be measured. Because glycated hemoglobin is an average value, if a diabetic’s blood sugar fluctuates significantly, the glycated hemoglobin may become normal. Therefore, even if the glycosylated hemoglobin is normal, diabetic patients cannot ignore fingertip blood glucose monitoring.

 

  Can a dynamic blood glucose meter replace glycation?

 

  With the advancement of blood glucose monitoring technology, more and more patients are currently using dynamic blood glucose meters, which are instruments that can measure blood glucose values 24 hours a day.

 

  Can a dynamic blood glucose meter replace glycated hemoglobin?

 

  Although the dynamic blood glucose meter can monitor 24-hour blood sugar fluctuations, it theoretically has the same function as glycated hemoglobin. However, since the function of the dynamic blood glucose meter is still being further improved, it cannot yet replace glycated hemoglobin. Even if diabetic patients use a dynamic blood glucose meter, they still need to monitor glycated hemoglobin.

 

  What are the precautions for saccharification?

 

  Since glycated hemoglobin is the average blood sugar over a period of time, whether the patient eats before the test, exercises, takes medication, or takes the test in the morning or afternoon will not affect its value. Patients only need to monitor it regularly.

 

  If diabetic patients usually have good blood sugar control and their fingertip blood sugars are within the standard range, then the glycated hemoglobin can be measured once every 3 to 6 months, and no longer than 6 months. However, if the patient did not pay attention to blood sugar monitoring for a period of time before diabetes, and the fingertip blood sugar is sometimes measured and sometimes not measured, the glycosylated hemoglobin must be measured once every three months. If the blood sugar is not normally controlled well, the frequency of testing must be increased.

 

  Another patient said how troublesome it is to go to the hospital for glycation.

 

  Yes, when it comes to going to the hospital, the first thing that pops up in everyone's mind is that of a huge crowd of people queuing up to register, pay fees, draw blood, and wait for results. Good hospitals can provide results in about 5 minutes, and some The hospital might be in the afternoon or the next day.