
April 7, 2003
A1c (Glycohemoglobin, HgbA1c)
Question from Memphis, Tennessee, USA:
My 10 year old daughter, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a little over two years ago, went to a lab to have her blood drawn for an A1c, and the tech refused to draw blood because she said that the A1c requires fasting, and my daughter had just finished her snack. Is this true?
Neither her doctor nor the other techs at this same lab have mentioned this before. In the past, we have gone to the doctor, and she has eaten lunch in the car on the way to the lab. Could this be affecting her A1c levels?
Answer:
The hemoglobin A1c has nothing to do with fasting or eating. Any random time is okay to do the test.
LD
[Editor’s comment: Factors that interfere with GHB (HbA1c) Test Results does not mention time-of-day or fasting/non-fasting status as a factor influencing the results.
WWQ]