![]() ![]() Individuals who have particularly high or low hemoglobin levels will not be able to rely on HbA1c ranges. Sub-optimal: Anything above 6.0 reveals a problem state with blood sugar control.Less than Optimal/Pre-diabetic stage: 5.4-6.0 (your lab will call this “normal” but, in functional medicine we consider this the concerned-zone).Why? Because “normal” doesn’t necessarily equate to optimal if you’re interested in preventing disease-especially when it comes to preventing future blood sugar issues. In functional medicine, we’re always looking beyond “normal” when it comes to lab marker ranges. HbA1c measures the extent to which hemoglobin in the blood has been affected (“glycosylated’) by blood sugar. Plus, it gives us clues into how sugars may be affecting your cells and tissues. The HbA1c test offers us a window into your last 8-10 weeks of blood sugar handling vs. In functional medicine, and at kNew Health, we want to catch blood sugar issues as early on as possible. Plus fasting glucose is also highly affected by factors completely outside of diet such as particularly poor sleep the night before. And prediction is key to prevention when it comes disease. Moreover, it doesn’t provide any predictive insight into trends toward diabetes, prediabetes or other blood sugar handling issues. This works to an extent to diagnose more advanced cases of blood sugar imbalance and diabetes management.īut, since this test was only designed to measure glucose levels during the fasting period, it doesn’t give a full picture of how a person’s body was handling sugar over a period of days or weeks. In conventional medical labs, the only test typically offered for blood sugar screening is the fasting glucose test. When we think of blood sugar issues, most of us immediately think: diabetes.īut, Type 2 diabetes is typically only one advanced consequence of high blood sugar imbalance run amok over a lengthy period of time. Why the HbA1c Test Is Far Superior to Standard Fasting Glucose Testing In today’s article, we’ll take a deep dive into the lesser-known consequences of poor blood sugar management, and how the HbA1c test offers us precious clues into the trends and causal factors behind blood sugar imbalances. That’s where the Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test comes in handy, and why we include it in our initial membership lab work. With over 100 million Americans living with diabetes or pre-diabetes and millions more with brewing blood sugar imbalances, having a clear picture of your blood sugar levels is crucial.Īnd while a fasting glucose test does provide some valuable context, this lab marker can be misleading and doesn’t give you a full picture of how your body is managing sugar over a period of weeks.
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