HbA1c--What's that? Why should I care?

HbA1c is a blood test commanly talked about with diabetes. First, this test should be taken every 3 months by your doctor. During pregnancy it is reccomended to be taken monthly.  The simplest way to explain the HbA1c test is to think of it as a running average with the last month having a larger impact then the first two. It tells the doctor what your blood sugars have been for the past three months. 
How in the world is it possible to see what my blood sugars were 3 months ago?  It is actually is pretty simple.  We need to discuss the life of a a single red blood cell. A red blood cell generally lives and circulates for 90-120 days.  Blood sugar attaches to the red blood cell and never lets go. If blood sugar is high then the HbA1c will be high. When the red blood cell dies it takes the sugar with it.  Every day red blood cells die and new ones are made. It is a constant turn over.
The HbA1c test is essentially counting how much sugar is attached to the red blood cell.  It tells the doctor your risk for developing complications associated with diabetes.  The higher the number the bigger the risk. In order to reduce the HbA1c number you need to have good blood sugar readings. Good blood sugar is around 100.  Because the life of a red blood cell is 90-120 days it will take a few months to reduce the number.
The ideal range for diabetes is 6.5% or less.  This is the reccomendation from the American Diabetes Association and the ACE guidelines from the Americam Association of Endocrinologist.  These guys are the doctors that specialize in "glands" or in other words diabetes.
This test should be taken every 3 months. If you see a diabetes specialist every three months, your doctor is probably taking this test already. If you see a regular family doctor for your diabetes it may not be done. You should ask the doctor to take this test for you. Find out the results and do everything you can to keep your HbA1c number  at 6.5% or less.