A patient presents to the clinic for a routine check-up. Their HbA1c is 6.0%. What is the correct interpretation of this result?
Understand the Problem
The question asks for the correct interpretation of an HbA1c result of 6.0%. HbA1c is a measure of average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months and is used to diagnose and monitor diabetes and pre-diabetes.
Answer
The patient is in the prediabetic range.
An HbA1c of 6.0% indicates that the patient is in the prediabetic range. An HbA1c level between 5.7% and 6.4% suggests prediabetes, which means the patient's blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.
Answer for screen readers
An HbA1c of 6.0% indicates that the patient is in the prediabetic range. An HbA1c level between 5.7% and 6.4% suggests prediabetes, which means the patient's blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.
More Information
The HbA1c test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have glucose attached to them. The higher your HbA1c level, the poorer your blood sugar control has been during the previous 2-3 months.
Tips
It's important to note that HbA1c results should be interpreted by a healthcare professional, taking into account the individual's medical history and other relevant factors. A single HbA1c result should not be the sole basis for a diagnosis of diabetes.
Sources
- A1C test - Mayo Clinic - mayoclinic.org
- Should I worry if HbA1c is 6%? - Quora - quora.com
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