Since my next Lab test will not be until January and I was curious to see my current A1C, I got an A1CNow box. I just used up both tests that come in the box and this is what I got.
Test 1: 5.4
I am wondering, how has your experience been with the A1CNow home A1c test?
I think Kelly Rawlings did some comparisons of these a1c meters. What was your average on your bg meter, if I may be so rude to ask 
It shows 124 as the average.
wow, I’d love to see 124. Maybe that 53 bg I had an hour ago may affect my average! oh, I was remembering Kelly’s experience was she did the home tests the same day she went for the lab test. I think she shared it on Twitter. I just tweeted her to check out this discussion.
I don’t know the brand name, but I know when I had my free A1C at Walgreen’s recently, it was a home test. I found it a bit high for what I was anticipating based on my daily averages. On the other hand, as I posted in another thread, there are apparently three different A1C conversions. For the 6.5 I got, it would be either 130, 140 or 154. So I guess I don’t have all that much faith in the meaning of the A1C in general.
Hmmmmmmmmm. I ordered the 2 pack and blew them both because I was in a smarty-pants mood and didn’t think I needed to read the directions. The first one, the blood did not come out of the shaker tube. The second, I opened the tube at the wrong end and the blood came out all over me. Well, $25 down the drain. Live and learn. And, read thd directions first.
I did my A1C’s comparing to the lab draw at the lab, from my fingertip to their venous draw. A1c was 7.3, Lab was 7.4. I’ll accept that. Are you on a CGMS? THAT’s what really made it jibe. With only the meter, I too would’ve doubted it.
Thing is there can be spaces of hours of course between BG meter tests, but on my CGMS and meter, I get the Sensor ave, and it’s tied in nicely to the A1C now.
Is it the average of the CGMS or your meter average. I just ask because:
22:00 130 mg/dl (the day before)
08:00 190 mg/dL
12:00 90 mg/dL
18:00 100 mg/dL
22:00 90 mg/dL
METER AVERAGE 120 mg/dL
But the calculation is wrong because the 190 mg/dL in the morning is not represented properly in the calculation. What if you had this value for many hours? This is why I am not a friend of statistical data that is derived from single tests - it is often misleading. In the Glucosurfer project we allowed only statistical data that is based on linearized values. This means we connect every measurement with a linear function. So if you go to sleep with 130 and you wake up with 190 we will estimate every blood glucose value between these points for every minute. A mean value that is based on these numbers per minute will be much higher. It can be argued that the high value may be a result of a dawn reaction. Thus our method is over-estimating the situation. On the others hand is gives an early warning that something it not right here.
But since you are using an CGMS you will have all the numbers at hand, right?
Right, indeed. I haven’t downloaded the most recent batch of readings from the CGMS, but the last time I did it (about a month ago) the average was definitely not 100 (more like 135-140).
I have done the calculation: the mean value of the values above with the linearized method would be 130 mg/dL. So the difference is 10 mg/dL.
With your CGMS values you have a very good indicator. A mean value of 135 mg/dL would lead to an A1c of 5.9 to 6.0 so the test kit seems a little bit to optimistic. On the other hand it is not a calibrated lab device so fluctuations must be expected - is the deviation mentioned in the description?
On their web site, they state:
“An individual A1CNow+ result may differ by as much as -1.0 %A1C to +0.8 %A1C from the true result.”
So I guess, the results I got are within that range.
I had my HbA1c tested at the Walgreens free testing festival in mid november. They used the A1cNow. Mine came in at 6%. My previous test had been in early september at 5.7%, so entirely consistent. My general experience is that the A1c tests are highly variable. I consider them an accurate gauge of blood sugar control with about a 20-30% accuracy. Yes, pretty rough. In general my meter averages have pretty consistently been 30% lower would be expected from my HbA1c. I have had several fructosamine tests over the years, and disturbingly, those tests have been consistent with my meter averages, not the HbA1c. There are some factors that can really affect the HbA1c, particulary things like anemia.
My take, the A1cNow is probably as accurate as the lab tests, but neither are all that good.
I used 4 different at-home A1C tests within 48 hours of an endo visit. My endo uses an in-office device (not sent to a lab).
At endo: 6.7
ReliOn mail-away test: 6.7
Appraise mail-away test: 6.6 (mails to same lab as test above)
A1C At Home mail-away 7.6
Bayer A1C Now: 7.6, 7.4 (the device allows 2 tests at home)
Based on my 60-day 119 meter average at the time, I’m inclined to believe the endo result.
I ran all the tests for a story. When the writer called the companies, they basically said not to compare between different testing products because test methods, procedures, etc., are different.
The three mail-away tests require blood to be placed on a card, dried in normal room conditions, then mailed. I did wash my hands and follow the written procedures as accurately as possible.
After that experience, I think I will stick to my quarterly endo readings!
Absolutely, Kelly! I am looking forward to my appt. in January… Now, judging by the fact that you saw lower A1Cs at the end than with the at-home tests, maybe I should get myself psychologically ready for an A1C of 5, when I see my endo in January! 
Historically the companies have perhaps had a point. There was in fact no calibration reference for the A1c test, so tests from even the professional labs were technically not comparable. That excuse should no longer be true. There is now a National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) (see http://www.a1cbloodtest.net/lab-accuracy.php and http://www.ngsp.org/prog/index.html) and such excuses are just not true. In order to be certified, in 2007 you had to be within +/- 15% (95% confidence interval). That is supposed to be tightened up to 10%, 8% and eventually 6% in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.
If your HbA1c reading of 6.7% was in fact dead-on, then the 7.4% represented a 10% error, and the 7.6% represented a 13% error (out of spec). I think as diabetics we have every reason to expect better performance in these tests. I continued to be utterly dissappointed in the quality of blood sugar tests and in the HbA1c test. We depend on these tests and they still are of such bad quality that they can cause mistakes in treatment decisions. I am not convinced that companies can’t do better, I think we have to DEMAND better quality.
I used this test the day before Thanksgiving and got a 7.1 reading. This after just 7 weeks of low-carbing since my 10/8/09 diagnosis of 11.1. Then, just this week, after meeting with a new doctor who wanted to retest me, the lab test came back at 7.2. So, seems pretty accurate to me. I will get my blood work again next month which will put me 3 months out from my diagnosis and I will use my 2nd home test to see how it does against the lab test. My expectations are that once I am three months out, my A1C will be below 6%. With testing 6-8 times a day since diagnosis, I am averaging around 110-115 so should show a much better A1C next month. But, so far, I like the home test and it seems to be pretty accurate.
I hope you get a satisfying number in January!
Until I saw all the self-reports here at tudiabetes of people in the 5s, I never really thought it was possible. It’s actually not for me (still without a CGM), but I’m determined to stay in the 6s!
Indeed!
I had mine done at the Endo office in October and then at Walgreens in November because I won’t have another until January. The October A1c was 7.5 and the Walgreens one was 7.0 but I had been just starting on the pump and my numbers have been trending down since October so I guess the quickie tests are pretty accurate.
I used the first test of the Bayer A1C Now about 6 weeks before my endo appointment and got a reading of 9.1. I then used it to test at the same time as the endo test, using the same fingerstick. The Bayer unit got a reading of 9.1, but my endo got a reading of 8.1. So mine was off a bit, but it should be mainly used as a gauge. At least both numbers were better than the 10.8 lab test I had with my previous doctor, not to mention that doctor jumping down my throat that it was that high and that I should be controlling it better than that. The funny thing about that is, in the 3 plus years of seeing that doctor, she never once made a single change to my dosing!