The hemoglobin A1c test shows the average amount of sugar in your blood over the last 3 months. It's a simple lab test done by your doctor. The hemoglobin A1c test is the best test to find out if your blood sugar is under control.

If you know your hemoglobin A1c number, you will know if your blood sugar is under control. A high number is a sign that you should work with your doctor to change your treatment plan. A good test result is a sign that your treatment plan is working and your blood sugar is under control.

All people with diabetes should have a hemoglobin A1c test, typically every 3 months, but at least twice a year. Regular hemoglobin A1c testing can help you track your blood sugar levels over time to see if they stay close to your goal. If your blood sugar levels are too high or too low, work with your doctor to change your treatment plan and reach your target level of control.

The hemoglobin A1c goal for people with diabetes is less than 7%. The findings of a major diabetes study, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), showed that people with diabetes who keep their hemoglobin A1c levels close to 7% have a much better chance of delaying or preventing diabetes problems that affect the eyes, kidneys, and nerves than people with hemoglobin A1c levels 8% or higher. A change in treatment is almost always needed if your hemoglobin A1c is over 8%. But, if you can lower your hemoglobin A1c number by any amount, you will improve your chances of staying healthy, as long as you have not excessive risk from your treatment.

Research shows that few people can tell their blood sugar levels simply by how they feel. Testing your blood sugar is the only way to know for sure whether you are reaching your blood sugar goals.

If you have "sugar," you have diabetes. Diabetes is a serious disease that causes the sugar in your blood to be at too high a level. This high blood sugar harms your body's blood vessels and can cause you to go blind, suffer a heart attack, lose your feet or legs to amputations, stop your kidneys from working, and even kill you. There is no cure for diabetes, but you can do a lot to control it. You can change some of the foods you eat. You can stay at a weight that is right for you. And you can get regular physical activity. Lots of people need medication to control their diabetes.

You can do a lot to bring down high blood sugar and get it under control. Start by asking your doctor for a hemoglobin A1c test. If your hemoglobin A1c test result is too high, talk with your doctor about how to lower it. To get your blood sugar under control, follow the meal plan recommended by your doctor, stick to a physical activity program, take prescribed diabetes medicines, and consult with your doctor often.

A change in treatment is almost always needed if your hemoglobin A1c is over 8%. Common causes of high blood sugar include eating too much food or eating the wrong foods, lack of physical activity, stress, a need to change medicines, and infection or illness. If your hemoglobin A1c number is too high, work with your doctor to change your treatment plan and reach the goal of less than 7%.

You should get a hemoglobin A1c test at least 2 times a year if your blood sugar is in the target range and stable. If your treatment changes or if your blood sugars have not consistently been well controlled, you should get a hemoglobin A1c test every 3 months until your blood sugar level improves.

The DCCT study showed that the lower the hemoglobin A1c number, the greater the chances that people with diabetes will slow or prevent the development of serious eye, kidney, and nerve disease. The study showed that if you can lower your hemoglobin A1c number by any amount, you will improve your chances of staying healthy. You will also raise your risk for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).