Is HbA1c test better than fasting and postprandial sugar test?

[Bodhi]

Hi, I am 64 years old man. I have been suffering from diabetes for last 6 months. I am on hypoglycemic drugs and regularly monitoring my blood sugar level. I have a confusion regarding the detection test that is if I show the fasting and postprandial result to my physician, he asks me about HbA1c. I would like to know that Is HbA1c test better than fasting and postprandial sugar test? Please comment.

[Tanisha]

@bodhi Fasting blood sugar test measures the value of blood glucose at a specific time. To get the accurate value it is recommended to take a blood test in the morning on an empty stomach. To get accurate results do not eat or drink food except water for 8-10 hours before the test. Fasting blood sugar value of 120mg/dl or more is termed as diabetes mellitus.
Post-prandial blood sugar test is measured after two hours of eating any meal and blood sugar values more than 200mg/dl indicates diabetes mellitus.
The HbA1C is a test that gives you the measure of average blood glucose levels over a period of last 3 months. You need not fast before the test as the test measure glucose attached to the part of red blood cells. This test is more accurate and gives a good indication of your average blood glucose level over the last 2-3 months. The normal range of HbA1C is 4 %-5.6%, values between 5.7%-6.4% indicate you are at risk of developing diabetes and above 6.5% denotes that you have diabetes.