Diabetes is classified into two types: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by a complete lack of insulin production, resulting in uncontrolled blood glucose levels. Because type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in childhood, it is also known as juvenile diabetes.
While type 2 diabetes, the most common type, is characterized by insulin underproduction or the body's cells becoming resistant to insulin action as a result of environmental and genetic factors that are often present in adulthood, this type of diabetes is also known as adult-onset diabetes.
Haemoglobin is a protein that is found in red blood cells (RBCs). It binds with oxygen to transport it throughout the body, and it can also bind with glucose in the bloodstream, resulting in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). HbA1c remains in RBCs in this state for 8 to 12 weeks, or for the life of the red blood cell, because the bond is irreversible.
A high HbA1c concentration in the blood indicates that the patient is more likely to develop diabetes or is at increased risk of developing the disease.
Diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, often appears gradually, with blood glucose levels rising slowly and incrementally over time. 3 Accurate and early diagnostic methods for monitoring diabetes symptoms are critical for improving patient care.
Instead of simply testing glucose over a two-hour window or while fasting, testing for glycated hemoglobin provides a better understanding of chronic hyperglycemia. Instead, this diagnostic tool measures the glycemic index of RBCs over a 120-day period. As a result, the HbA1c method may not only provide a reliable diabetes diagnosis but may also stratify the risk of developing the disease.
Because the HbA1c test requires little preparation, it can be used as a diagnostic marker for diabetes to increase patient compliance. This test requires only one blood sample, produces accurate preliminary results, and eliminates the need for repeat testing.
Given that many people with prediabetes or diabetes go undiagnosed, widespread POC HbA1c testing can help reduce global morbidity associated with this metabolic disorder.
Pregnant women, children, and patients with a history of acute pancreatic damage or pancreatic surgery, on the other hand, are not ideal candidates for HbA1c testing.
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