My granddaughter’s blood sugars seem to be running okay. Today, her A1c was 11.0 as it was last month, too. The doctor says this can’t be so, with low blood sugars! What happens to her body with a high A1c?

A high hemoglobin A1c represents a high average blood sugar. Often, if the blood sugar average on the meter is normal and her A1c is high, you may be missing the times of day when her blood sugars are too high, such as during the night while sleeping. Many pediatric diabetologists and pediatric endocrinologists have a simple test that can be run for five days at home called a glucose sensor which takes thousands of blood sugars over the course of five days. It is very helpful in identifying problematic blood sugar trends that are not easy to find doing fingerstick testing only. I would check with your granddaughter’s physician to see if they have a glucose sensor that may be available for your use.

MSB

[Editor’s comment: Basically, a high A1c, over time, can lead to diabetic complications. Most endocrinologists and other diabetes experts recommend a lower A1c to avoid complications. See also HbA1c Measurement.

BH]