An international expert panel now recommends the A1C test -- the measure of blood glucose over the past two to three months -- to diagnose diabetes in everyone except pregnant women. Until now, diabetes was diagnosed by checking fasting or random blood glucose.
Research revealed that while one or more blood glucose tests can just happen to be elevated, a high A1C is a surer bet that blood glucose has been high for some time and is slowly damaging the body.
Here's how A1C results are used to diagnose diabetes:
People at high risk (known as pre-diabetes) are encouraged to lose weight (10-20 pounds) and become more active (at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week). That's the best strategy scientists have found to prevent or delay the development of type 2.
Action item: Urge people you know who are older than 45 or at risk for diabetes to get an A1C blood test. The most reliable A1C test results are from a lab rather than on-the-spot results at a medical office or at home.
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