Glycated hemoglobin

Glycated hemoglobin is hemoglobin with glucose attached, measured as a percentage to estimate average blood glucose over roughly the previous two to three months.

Hemoglobin A: Hemoglobin A is the predominant adult hemoglobin, composed of two alpha and two beta globin chains. Most glycated hemoglobin forms when glucose attaches to beta chains of this abundant hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin A1c test: The hemoglobin A1c test measures the proportion of hemoglobin that is glycated in a blood sample. It is the clinical test used to quantify glycated hemoglobin.
Fasting plasma glucose: Fasting plasma glucose is the concentration of glucose in blood after a period without caloric intake. Unlike this longer-term marker, it captures glucose at a single moment.
Blood glucose: Blood glucose is the concentration of glucose circulating in the bloodstream. Its sustained level determines how much glucose attaches to hemoglobin.
Nonenzymatic glycation: Nonenzymatic glycation is the spontaneous chemical attachment of sugars to proteins or other molecules. It describes how glucose binds hemoglobin without an enzyme.
Diabetes mellitus: Diabetes mellitus is a group of disorders marked by chronically elevated blood glucose. This measurement helps diagnose diabetes and assess long-term glucose control.
Oral glucose tolerance test: The oral glucose tolerance test measures blood glucose before and after consuming a standardized glucose drink. It tests the body's response to a glucose challenge rather than accumulated glycation.
Glucose: Glucose is a simple sugar used by cells as a major source of energy. It is the molecule that chemically modifies hemoglobin.
Erythrocyte: An erythrocyte is a red blood cell that transports oxygen using hemoglobin. Glycation accumulates inside these cells throughout their circulation.
Estimated average glucose: Estimated average glucose is a conversion of an A1c result into familiar concentration units for average blood glucose. It translates the percentage into an approximate mean glucose value.

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