Use of Glycated Hemoglobin in the Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus - Essay Example

"Use of Glycated Hemoglobin in the Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus" is a perfect example of a paper in diagnostic tests. Hemoglobin A1C (HgbA1C), also known as glycosylated hemoglobin is a test that is carried out on patients suffering from diabetes disease (Dinsmoor, 2014). This test gives a clear manifestation of how the blood glucose in the patient has been managed over the previous two to three months. This paper is going to talk about the number of times that this test needs to be done in a diabetes patient and how the same test provides an indication of the levels of the blood glucose in the patient.

The number of times that a person suffering from diabetes should undertake the HgbA1C test varies depending on two main factors. The first is the blood glucose levels of the diabetes patient. If the patient has stable levels of blood glucose in their body, then they will only need to do the test at least two times a year. However, if the diabetes patient has varying levels of blood glucose in their body, then it is mandatory for them to do the test four times a year. The other determining factor is the goals that the patients have for the treatment of the diabetes disease. If the diabetes patient is effectively meeting their treatment goals, then the test is only required at least two times a year. On the other hand, if the treatment process of the diabetes patient has been changed in the past and hence making it difficult for them to meet their set down treatment goals, then it is important for them to undertake the test a minimum of four times in a year (Dinsmoor, 2014). There will however be an additional factor depending on the age of the patient. My patient happens to be forty-nine years of age, which is old age. The old people are very vulnerable to this disease and they are not in a proper position to live on their own. For them, the test needs to be undertaken at least a minimum number of two times in a year (Lippi & Targher, 2010). The old people may also not exhibit the proper diagnosis due to the numerous changes taking part in their bodies as a result of aging (World Health Organization, 2011). It is therefore important that the test is performed numerous times so as to obtain a clear diagnosis of the disease. The changes in the old people are likely to conceal the chief warning signs of the diabetes disease and hence make it very challenging to diagnose it.

The HbgA1C test is extremely crucial for the diabetes patient as it will help them to determine how their glucose levels go up and down. The test when performed gives a percentage of the hemoglobin that is present in a sample of blood (World Health Organization, 2011). This obtained percentage will give a proper indication of how efficient the blood glucose has been managed over the preceding two to three months. If the blood glucose has been effectively managed, then the test will indicate a percentage of a lesser amount of 6% (World Health Organization, 2011). Any blood glucose percentage of less than 7% is generally recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for patients suffering from diabetes (Lippi & Targher, 2010). Such kind of percentage shows that the treatment process is effective and that the management process is equally efficient. However, if the blood glucose percentage is more than 7%, then the patient needs to work on their treatment and management methods as that is very critical to their health.

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