In the March 4, 2010, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, a research report shows that a newer diabetes test is more reliable and also is a better predictor of heart disease and stroke.

For many years, the fasting blood sugar test has been the standard.

If you are a patient at risk for diabetes,  be sure to talk with your doctor about how often you need testing.

Business Week

“The newer hemoglobin A1C test predicts diabetes as well as the traditional fasting blood sugar test, but it beats that old standard in predicting a patient’s future risk of heart disease and stroke, new research shows. (Emphasis added)

“After adjusting for common cardiovascular disease risk factors, the study found that while A1C levels high enough to diagnose diabetes were associated with nearly twice the risk of coronary heart disease, no such association was found with fasting glucose readings high enough to trigger a diabetes diagnosis.

“The A1C test is also known as a glycated hemoglobin test, and using a small blood sample, it measures your average blood sugar levels for the past two to three months.”

Source: Business Week, March 4, 2010