Choose an Ascensia blood glucose meter

Transcription

1 H E A L T H F A C T S Choose an Ascensia blood glucose meter

2 AIC testing As you know, keeping your blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible is the key to staying healthy. You check your blood glucose levels at different times of the day to make sure your diabetes plan is working (see Blood Glucose Testing brochure). These tests tell you what your blood glucose level is at that moment, which is very helpful. However, your blood glucose levels change a lot over the course of a day. Although self-testing frequently is the best way to manage your diabetes, it ALONE does not give you the whole picture. There is another test that can tell you your average blood glucose for the past 3 months. It is called an AIC test. You may hear a few different names for this laboratory test, including: HbA 1c Glycolated hemoglobin A 1c How does this test work? Hemoglobin is a protein inside your red blood cells. It is the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Hemoglobin also carries sugar, because sugars can stick to all kinds of proteins in your body. Once sugar sticks to hemoglobin, it is stuck there for the life of the red blood cell (about 3 months). The more sugar there is in your blood, the more will end up stuck to the hemoglobin. The AIC test is a measure of how much sugar is stuck to your hemoglobin. Your AIC reading tells you and your health care team what your average blood glucose level has been for the past 3 months. If you have lots of sugar in your blood and your average blood glucose has been high for the past few months, then your AIC will be high. The AIC test allows you to see how good your management has really been. You should talk to your health care team about your daily blood glucose tests AND your AIC. AIC tests tell you your average blood glucose for the past 3 months.

3 How does my AIC reading compare to my daily blood glucose levels? TARGETS FOR MOST PEOPLE Over 25 Symptoms: fatigue, thirst, blurred vision, 20 increased urination 1-2 hours after meals (5-10) before meals (4-7) Symptoms: shaky, nervous, hungry, sweating, headache, dizziness Blood glucose level (mmol/l) AIC* Over < Action required at increased risk for long term complications Action may be required, may not prevent complications Target goal, for most people. Reduced risk of complications Goal for those who can achieve it without too much hypoglycemia. * AIC (hemoglobin A1c) refers to the amount of glucose attached to red blood cells, and depends on the average amount of glucose in blood over the past 2-3 months. For example, an AIC of 0.09 equals an average blood glucose level of mmol/l over the past 2-3 months. Note: These levels are based on a AIC normal lab reference of This chart is an example of how blood glucose compares to AIC. Take action depends on your own plan, and your action steps should be discussed with your health care team. Some labs use different ways to test and have a different normal range. Talk to your health care team about your results. Your AIC reading lets you know more about your blood glucose management than just self-testing alone. How can AIC testing help me? An AIC higher than 7% is a warning sign that changes to your diabetes management plan may be required. If your AIC is high, your health care team may change your diabetes plan to help manage your blood glucose better. Changes in your plan are expected from time to time and will help bring your AIC closer to normal. When your AIC is close to normal, you know you are doing all you can to stay healthy. Research shows that good blood glucose levels may lower your risk of major health problems including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease, nerve damage, amputations, and other problems. By keeping your blood glucose close to normal, you will stop or delay the damage high blood glucose does to blood vessels and nerves. You can prevent the complications of diabetes (see Take-charge Management brochure). Where do I go for an AIC test? Your physician can refer you to the lab for this test, which can be done in a non-fasting state. Some doctors can do an AIC in their office by taking a blood drop from a finger stick. You can wait for the results and discuss them right away.

4 How often should I have an AIC test? You should have this test done every 3 months. Two major studies have shown the importance of maintaining good blood glucose levels and having this test done on a regular basis. The first was the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). In this study, patients with type 1 diabetes had an AIC test every month. This gave the health care team useful information to change treatment plans. In this study, patients who had close to normal AIC were in better health and had fewer cases of eye disease, kidney disease and nerve damage. The other study was called the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS). This was a study done with patients with type 2 diabetes. People who had blood glucose levels closer to normal were in better health in this study, too. Both of these studies show that the hard work it takes to manage your blood glucose is worth it. Your health care team will help you take good care of your blood glucose. They will tell you how often you should have an AIC test. My optimal AIC is : How AIC testing helped Maria Maria has type 2 diabetes. She was testing her blood glucose every morning before breakfast. Her blood glucose were usually optimal (4-7 mmol/l). She was shocked when she learned her AIC was high (9%). Maria found out that her morning blood glucose was optimal, but her blood glucose at other times of the day was high. She needed to lower her aftermeal and bedtime blood glucose. With the help of her health care team, Maria made changes to her diabetes care plan to help her control her blood glucose. In fact, Maria was happy to learn that her AIC went down to 7.5% by her next visit, which showed her new plan was really working all day long. Insight on the DCA Analyzer Laboratory-accurate AIC results just minutes after testing Simple, point of care AIC testing. A clear indication of glycemic control over the previous 90 to 120 days. Results your Healthcare Professional can act on immediately.

5 When you manage your blood glucose, you are able to manage your diabetes. That s why you test your blood glucose regularly. The better your diabetes management, the better your health will be. The AIC test is another tool you can use to make sure your diabetes plan is working. It can warn you if you need to change your plan, or simply tell you that your plan is working well. Be sure you make use of this helpful tool. Just remember the power to manage your diabetes is in your hands. For more information, call our toll-free Bayer Diabetes Helpline at: from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. EST, 7 days a week / Ascensia, Ascensia Elite, Ascensia BREEZE and Ascensia CONTOUR are trademarks of Bayer HealthCare LLC, Bayer and Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer AG, used under license Bayer Inc., Diagnostics Division, Toronto ON M9W 1G6 DD E