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The A1C test is a quick blood test that measures your average blood sugar (also known as glucose) level over the past 3 months.1 A1C is also called hemoglobin A1C or glycated hemoglobin. In your blood, glucose attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells, which becomes glycated hemoglobin. The A1C test reports the percentage of your red blood cells that have glucose attached to them.
Your A1C result is within target and is a good sign. You should continue making healthy lifestyle choices. If you have diabetes and your A1C is within target, that’s great! Keep up your healthy choices and continue on your diabetes treatment plan. Talk to your pharmacist about when you should return for another A1C test.
If you are at risk (5.5% to 5.9%), you should consider making lifestyle changes that address your diet and exercise routine. If left unmanaged, prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes, which is diagnosed if your A1C level is above 6.5%.5
If your A1C is on the higher side, talk to your doctor or Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist to come up with a specialized management plan. This may involve adjusting your lifestyle habits or medications. It may also be a good idea to start self-testing your blood glucose levels at home if you haven’t already. You can buy a home blood glucose monitor at your local Shoppers Drug Mart store. Together, frequent blood glucose testing and knowing your current A1C value can give you greater control in managing your diabetes.1 Talk to your pharmacist about when you should return for another A1C test.
An A1C of 6.0% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes.4 5 If you have prediabetes (6.0% to 6.4%), you should consider making lifestyle changes that address your diet and exercise routine. If left unmanaged, prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes, which is diagnosed if your A1C level is above 6.5%.5 Most adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes should aim to have their A1C below 7.0%.6
If your A1C is on the higher side, talk to your doctor or Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist to come up with a specialized management plan. This may involve adjusting your lifestyle habits or medications. It may also be a good idea to start self-testing your blood glucose levels at home if you haven’t already. You can buy a home blood glucose monitor at your local Shoppers Drug Mart store. Together, frequent blood glucose testing and knowing your current A1C value can give you greater control in managing your diabetes.1 Talk to your pharmacist about when you should return for another A1C test.
If your A1C is on the higher side, talk to your doctor or Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist to come up with a specialized management plan. This may involve adjusting your lifestyle habits or medications. It may also be a good idea to start self-testing your blood glucose levels at home if you haven’t already. You can buy a home blood glucose monitor at your local Shoppers Drug Mart store. Together, frequent blood glucose testing and knowing your current A1C value can give you greater control in managing your diabetes.1
An A1C test is one of the main blood tests that can help your doctor diagnose prediabetes and diabetes.1 A fasting blood glucose test is another important test that takes a snapshot of your current blood glucose level after you have fasted. Together, a fasting blood glucose level and an A1C level play important roles in checking to see how well your diabetes treatment plan is working.
Diabetes is a disease where your body either can’t produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or can’t respond to insulin (type 2 diabetes), resulting in high blood glucose levels. Insulin is important because it fuels your body by moving glucose from your blood to your cells. If there isn’t enough insulin available, or if it can’t be used properly, then the glucose will remain in your blood. Prediabetes is when your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for you to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
It is important to control your diabetes and keep your A1C within target levels to prevent diabetes complications such as heart, kidney, nerve and eye damage.
If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, your A1C should be measured regularly. You should check your A1C every 3 months if your glucose level targets are not being met, or when changes are being made to your diabetes management.1
If you are 40 years of age or older, you should have your A1C tested at least once every 3 years.2 If you have risk factors for type 2 diabetes, you may need to be tested earlier and more frequently.2 Some risk factors for diabetes include:3
Ask your doctor or local Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist if you are unsure about how often you should be testing your A1C.
An A1C level can help your doctor diagnose diabetes, and help your pharmacist monitor it. Target A1C levels can vary from person to person. Your target A1C level can depend on many factors such as your age, medical conditions and other risk factors.
A1C (%) | Results |
---|---|
< 5.5 | Normal (rescreen as recommended) |
5.5 – 5.9 | At risk (rescreen more often) |
6.0 – 6.4 | Prediabetes (rescreen more often) |
≥ 6.5 | Diabetes |
An A1C of 6.0% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes. 4 5 If you are at risk (5.5% to 5.9%) or if you have prediabetes (6.0% to 6.4%), you should consider making lifestyle changes that address your diet and exercise routine. If left unmanaged, prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes, which is diagnosed if your A1C level is above 6.5%.5
Most adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes should aim to have their A1C below 7.0%.6 An A1C target of 7.0% to 8.0% may be reasonable for people with frequent low blood sugar symptoms such as sweating, anxiety, and a fast heartbeat. If your A1C is higher than 8.5%, your doctor may adjust your medication therapy to prevent long-term complications like heart disease. If you are unsure what your target A1C level should be, talk to your doctor or local pharmacist at one of our Shoppers Drug Mart stores today.
Your A1C test can give you a good idea about your overall glucose level.
If you don’t have diabetes, an A1C within target is a good sign, and you should continue making healthy lifestyle choices. If you have diabetes and your A1C is within target, that’s great! Keep up your healthy choices and continue on your diabetes treatment plan.
If your A1C is on the higher side, talk to your doctor or Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist to come up with a specialized management plan. This may involve adjusting your lifestyle habits or medications. It may also be a good idea to start self-testing your blood glucose levels at home if you haven’t already. You can buy a home blood glucose monitor at your local Shoppers Drug Mart store. Together, frequent blood glucose testing and knowing your current A1C value can give you greater control in managing your diabetes.1