DiabetesA1c testingClinical management of diabetes is now focussed on an indicator known as Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c or now often called A1c). HbA1c is a fraction of haemoglobin (Hb) one of the main constituents of blood cells. Glycated Haemoglobin is simply that fraction which has a molecule of sugar attached to it. This measurement yields far more accurate data on the patient’s condition over time than simple blood glucose metering as it measures the average glucose levels over the previous 3-month period. The landmark DCCT (for Diabetes Control and Complication Trial) demonstrated without a doubt that HbA1c predicts the risk of the development of chronic complications and that managing patients to low levels (<7%) will reduce the probability of contracting such complications: "We now regard A1c as the key measurement to indicate the quality of diabetic control. All clinics aspire to get the result during the visit and to advise the patient in the light of this result and no other"
The great majority of A1c tests are currently carried out by blood samples being sent from a clinic, surgery or physician's office to a central laboratory for analysis and a report. This is a laborious, time-consuming and expensive process, which generally requires the patient to pay a second visit to the doctor or clinician to receive the result. There is a fast-growing worldwide demand for a means to conduct the A1c test within the scope of a single clinic visit. Health administrations around the world are looking to Point of Care solutions to manage this huge and ever growing burden of diabetes diagnosis and monitoring. See also: Trends How it works Links |