Due to my recent move, I’ll be nine months between endo appointments and the A1c check that accompanies each visit. I’m not the biggest fan of the A1c number since it doesn’t reflect BG variability and can hide a lot of hypo- and hyper-glycemia. I consider time in range the ultimate diabetes statistic.
Having said that, I’m still a data-nerd and I was curious how my A1c was doing during this longer than usual doctor break. So I purchased a ReliOn A1c kit. The directions were easy to follow and the number it gave me is where I feel my average blood glucose resides right now. Here’s a photo of the result:
I’ve used them when they were sold under the Bayer brand name-- pretty sure they’re exactly the same just rebranded. I thought they ran a bit higher than lab results for me… Maybe .5% but it’s not a perfect science or a perfect world.
I will be going to a different lab after many years with the same one. I’ll be curious to see how the A1c number clocks in. My old endo told me that her in-office A1c check ran lower than the outside lab I used. I think all diabetes numbers need to be appended with -ish!
I think the same lab could analyze the same sample over and over again and get slightly different results… It’s it not a perfect science. It’s kinda like grabbing a handful of skittles and counting how many red ones are in it…
I LOVE these kits. It seems to be a little like glucose testing results… the closer to in range the less deviation… a 99 glucose read will often come back a second time with a 99, 102, whereas a a 140 tried a second time might produce a 150, 130 etc.
The last lab/home kit comparison I did, the lab came back .5 lower and I was within my dreamy AIC range at that point. When I have been in really yuck places with my AIC, the home kit was off by a point or more. I have also done back to back home tests and found the same thing, In range= reproducible
The clarity report for me, seems to always generate a fairytale like AIC! Lol!
This is a great topic @Terry4! Thanks for bringing it up… I might go run a test! I have a leftover😱
Way to go with your test! Great to see healthy inspiration!!!
If theses A1c kits do have a precision and accuracy “sweet spot,” I wonder what it is. Since gluco-normals are more in the 4% range, if your hypothesis is correct, perhaps the more accurate and precise range is in the 4-6% neighborhood.
Thank you for the compliment! I still see plenty of room for improvement but this result is good enough.
They’re in stores also… The website just shows that it’s available at the “local store” (270 miles away in my case) at the same price… I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it’s cheaper where you’re at
I ordered through Amazon 10 test I think was maybe $130.
10 test are a lot , but they are suppose to last at my box had a 20 month expertain date.
Yes I know A1c test don’t need to be done less than three months apart.
But I am only doing lab test once a year, plus the home test every two months.
At less than the lab draws for every three months,
It is a bit on the compulsive side.
I have managed on diet and exercise only, so to me being s bit compulsive is a good thing.
In the last order was a refrigerator sticker to order direct at www.A1CTEST.COM I have not ordered from them.
I will say that these are vastly improved from the previous relion a1c test kit— which you had to mail in a blood sample to get the result— it was very very difficult to saturate the sample patch with one blood drop, which the directions insisted was critical… These at-home kits like Terry has here are easy to use…
