Fact: A1C Aces the Test (Diabetes Forecast, June 2010)

This is information we truly need to hear, as the A1C is what most of our doctors use to determine how our therapy is going. "The New England Journal of Medicine, March 4, 2010" published an article stating: Diabetes raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes, which is one reason it's so important to screen for the disease and start treatment early. In a study, the A1C test - which shows average blood glucose over two to three months - did a better job of predicting a patient's risk of heart disease and premature death than did the fasting plasma glucose test, which is taken after at least an eight-hour fast. The results suggest that the recent addition of the A1C test as a way to diagnose diabetes may identify more people at risk for fatal heart attacks and strokes. Diabetes is diagnosed at A1Cs of 6.5 percent and above.