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 You may be hearing more about a new test for diabetes called the eAG (estimated average glucose). Until now, the HgA1C (hemoglobin A1C) was the preferred test for trending blood glucose readings over several months. The problem is, the HgA1C result is given in terms of a percentage. This percentage tells you how well your blood glucose has been controlled over the past 3 months. For example, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends patients keep their HgA1C below 6.5%. This is a great recommendation but how does this percentage translate to the actual blood glucose readings one should be trying to achieve when monitoring at home?
The eAG, on the other hand, provides an average of blood glucose readings over the past 3 months. For example, an eAG of 126 means that your average blood glucose is 126mg/dL. This new test appears to be much more straight forward, telling the patient exactly what the average blood glucose reading has been. It is more difficult to tell what average daily blood glucose measurements you would need to achieve to maintain an HgA1C of 6.5%.
The ADA is expected to start recommending the eAG test in hopes that it will be easier for patients to understand what actions need to be taken to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Labs are gearing up to start reporting blood glucose in terms of both HgA1C and eAG.
There is a formula that can tell you what your eAG is based on your HgA1C reading. Here is a summary of the readings based on that formula.
TABLE 1: eAG and HgA1C Conversions
|
HgA1C |
eAG |
|
5 |
97 |
|
6 |
126 |
|
7 |
154 |
|
8 |
183 |
|
9 |
212 |
|
10 |
240 |
|
11 |
269 |
|
12 |
298 |
The guidelines put forth by the ADA have not yet changed to include this new test. As such, the current goal of an HgA1C of less than 6.5% still stands. According to the table, to achieve this goal, one should aim for an average of their blood glucose readings to be around 126.
Author: Christi Larson, Pharm. D.
Dr. Larson is a Clinical Infusion Pharmacist, author of Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers and creator of www.empoweredmedicine.com. You can read more about her by visiting www.EmpoweredMedicine.com and clicking on the 'About Us' tab. EmpoweredMedicine.com is committed to providing evidence-based medical information.
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