Posted 7/24/2023 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
Or the HbA1c test - it's the same test. It's an average of our blood sugar over about 90 days. Depending on the insurance and the patient's situation, doctors usually order this once a year or twice a year.
Our personal glucose meters also give us an average but this average is only of the times we test our blood sugar so our own meter's average will probably not be the same as the A1c. There are times I don't take my blood sugar reading on purpose, like last weekend when I had a piece of birthday cake. It was half a piece, no icing, but still. I knew my BS ( that's blood sugar not the other 'bs' :p), would be elevated and it would mess up my meter's average. On the other hand, it will affect the A1c. Can't do this too many times.
Now, if you want to take an A1c test outside of your doctor's office, you can buy a kit at Walgreens or CVS as well as Amazon. I bought a box of four tests manufactured by PTS Diagnostics from Amazon, and I believe their results are accurate.