Know Your Numbers – Part 2
This is the second of a four part series about the numbers that you should know about your health.
Over 11.7 million Canadians have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes. It is estimated that many people have been living with diabetes for up to two years before being diagnosed. The symptoms at onset can include excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision and fatigue.
The hemoglobin A1c is used to diagnose and to follow the status of diabetes. It represents the amount of sugar that sticks to red blood cells. Red blood cells have a life of 120 days in the body so it can reflect the status of known diabetes. It is less cumbersome for diagnosis than the previous ways we had to diagnose diabetes that required fasting and multiple tests after drinking a sugar load.
An A1c of more than 6.5 confirms the diagnosis of diabetes. A level of 6.0 to 6.5 represents pre-diabetes. A level of 5.5 to 6.0 represents “at risk” for diabetes. These levels are equivalent to a red, dark yellow and light yellow light for the diagnosis of diabetes.
The level can also help us to know the severity of known diabetes. A higher a1c is linked to increased risk for complications of diabetes such as vision change, kidney disease, and risk for heart and stroke.
It is recommended that adults over age 40 or those at higher risk ( family history / obesity etc), and every three months to follow the status of known diabetes. In those with stable diabetes the a1c can be checked every six months.
It is important to know your a1c. speak to your primary care practitioner to discuss your risk profile and whether it might be prudent to check.
An invaluable resource to better understand diabetes and lifestyle is the website of Diabetes Canada. www.diabetes.ca . They have excellent information meal planning, blood sugar management and exercise and activity. They also have virtual diabetes education classes because it is not always easy to make it in to diabetes education classes.
Stay healthy and be empowered by knowing your numbers!!
Dr. Bhooma Bhayana is a family physician in London and the mother of two young men and proud grandmother of three! She continues to find wonder and enjoyment in family practice despite more than 30 years on the job!
