The study covered in this summary was published on medRxiv as a preprint and has not yet been peer reviewed.
Key Takeaways
22% of US adults reported not knowing their current A1c value when they participated in a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) assessment. They had been diagnosed with diabetes and had undergone an A1c blood test during the prior year.
Sociodemographic characteristics associated with not knowing one's A1c values were having a lower income or less education and not being non-Hispanic White.
Among participants who said they knew their most recent A1c value, 48% reported an A1c that differed by >0.5% compared with a lab-measured A1c at the time of the survey.
Why This Matters
Long-term poor glycemic control is associated with increased risk of neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, and ketoacidosis in diabetes and increased risk of cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes.
Patients' knowledge and understanding of A1C are essential for diabetes self-management.
Results from recent studies have indicated that patients with better knowledge of their A1c level experience better overall care and diabetes management, and they have better knowledge of medication, better adherence, and increased treatment satisfaction.
The findings suggest that clinicians should evaluate and, if needed, enhance patients' knowledge of their A1c.
