The A1c Riddle

For a long time I've seen TV ads about diabetes and blood sugar and the term "A1C" is always discussed:

"Product xxx will reduce your A1C." or "My A1C has gone down since using product xxx."

A1C..... A1C..... A1C.....blah blah blah!

Now, I don't have any blood issues, but I'm just curious as to what the A, the 1, and the C stand for. I've looked at many online websites, and I even asked my neighbor who has been an RN for 25 years, and she doesn't know what the 3 characters stand for.

Do You?

Thanks,
Hal

 

Hal, A1C is a designation for a molecule, sometimes designated HA1C, Hgb A1c, etc. You may not want the entire explanation, but Hemoglobin A is the predominant hemoglobin in adult humans. (Hemoglobin F is the predominant type in babies, which switches after birth and sometimes causes neonatal jaundice when the infant is making the switch from F to A). Anyway, Hemoglobin A is modified by blood sugar, the higher the blood sugar level, the more hemoglobin is altered. Measuring the amount of altered hemoglobin gives an indication of the average blood sugar over the past 90-120 days. Different authorities use different levels (expressed as a percentage) for a cutoff for determining diabetes, but usual is 6.0% The assumption is made that if hemoglobin is getting "glycosylated", the other proteins are also being altered. The glycosylation of the proteins in the body is what causes many of the complications of diabetes, and while the blood sugar is a snapshot of the sugar level, the A1C is an average over time and is considered a better indicator of condition. Other indicators of blood sugar over time are Fructosamine and Glycosylated Albumin, but these are not commonly used as they are monitors of shorter time intervals. "1C" is simply the designator for the part of the Hemoglobin A molecule being measured--the part that is changed by blood sugar.

 

Thanks, Don... I'm overwhelmed by your learned explanation, but I'd still like to know what the "1" and the "C" stand for by themselves.

Then I'll be satisfied!

Hal

 

A1C is not an acronym...

Glycosylated (or glycated) hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c, Hb1c , or HbA1c) is a form of hemoglobin used primarily to identify the average plasma glucose concentration over prolonged periods of time. Its name is sometimes abbreviated to A1C
Hemoglobin A1c was first separated from other forms of hemoglobin by Huisman and Meyering in 1958 using a chromatographic column.

 

That is a little like asking what "Hal" and "Pollner" mean by themselves.

 

It is simply a classification system.
A

1

a
b
c​

2

a
b
c​

3

a
b
c​

B... etc

In this case
Hemoglobin
A - adult

1 98% of adult hemoglobin falls into this classification

a,b,d etc.... 1/3 of hemoglobin with glucose glucose attached is amongst these subgroups
c - 2/3 of hemoglobin with glucose attached falls into this category.​

2, etc. 2% of hemoglobin falls into these classifications​

If you are trying to measure glucose, you would want to search in the right place. If you were searching for alligators, the odds of finding one in a swamp are much higher than finding one in the high desert.

 

@Don Alaska

Or, maybe even together.......
Frank

 

FINALLY!

Harry Havens explained A1C to my satisfaction!

I don't know what Hemoglobin and Glucose are, and I don't care.

Thanks, Harry!
Hal

 

Got it. So an explanation of Pi would, "It is a Greek letter".