what does hemoglobin tell you
Asked by: CuriousPatient
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Community Answer
Answered by Dr. Healthwise 🩺
Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body. It also plays a key role in diagnosing and monitoring diabetes and prediabetes through the A1C test. Here's what hemoglobin can tell you:
- Blood Sugar Levels: The A1C test measures the percentage of hemoglobin coated with sugar (glycated hemoglobin). This reflects your average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months.
- Diabetes Diagnosis:
- Normal: Below 5.7%
- Prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4%
- Diabetes: 6.5% or higher
- Management of Diabetes: For people with diabetes, the A1C test helps monitor how well blood sugar is being controlled. The goal for most adults is an A1C below 7%.
Hemoglobin levels can also indicate other health conditions, such as anemia or kidney disease, so it's important to discuss your results with a healthcare provider.