A1C not Accurate for Children! Thanks ADA

Do you have a child that has diabetes symptoms?  Have they had high blood sugars (hyperglycemia)? … but were tested for diabetes using an Hemoglobin A1c test?

If so, I would urge you to read this post and consider other options, an article below states the tests are inaccurate for children. I’ll also discuss an article that suggests A1cs are inaccurate for many.

 The Study

Hemoglobin A1c Testing Method Fails to Identify Kids With Diabetes, Study Shows

From the study’s author…

“We found that Hemoglobin A1c is not as reliable a test for identifying children with diabetes or children at high risk for diabetes compared with other tests in children,”

Wow!!! … Really???

… if it’s not reliable for children … who would promote it’s usage?? …

‘In 2009, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommended that Hemoglobin A1c be exclusively used for the diagnosis of diabetes in children.’

“In fact, it failed to diagnose two out of three children participating in the study who truly did have diabetes.”

It failed to diagnose … two out of three … who HAD DIABETES????

Are YOU kidding me?

… that means there are kids right now, walking around with diabetes …and they think they are safe.

When I read the statements above … I knew  I was going to go on the mountain top  (my blog) and scream this as loud as I could … for two reasons…

1) To possibly help save some children from the damaging affects of high blood sugars.

2) To point out that the American Diabetes Association … or as I call them American Diabetes Ass…. is NOT infallible.  They are not ‘gods’ when it comes to diabetes care.

In fact they are VERY fallible and are in fact biased by their large corporate donors. Click here for a listing of past donors…  What other possible explanation could there be for pushing a grain based, high carb meal plan to diabetics?

 

Back to the Study

So if the A1c is too inaccurate… what should parents do?

The study suggests the Glucose Challenge Test is more accurate.  What does that test involve? Essentially the child would be given a sugary substance and the child’s blood sugar would be tested at one and / or two hour post consumption, the test is designed to see how well the body processes sugar (or glucose) in the blood.

Why?

Why would the American Diabetes Association push a test that was inacurrate?

Or maybe a better question is …why would they push for this to be the ONLY measure?

… I don’t know but I would be surprised if money did not come into play.

I mean, why ELSE would the American Diabetes Ass push a grain based, high carb meal plan … for diabetics???   … $$$$

 

Summary

My opinion?

I tested my blood sugar religiously after my diabetes diagnosis. Once I realized reducing carbs reduced my insulin and drug needs… I reduced carbohydrates until I no longer needed any drugs NOR insulin.

After awhile, I stopped testing 4-5 times a day. I gradually reduced testing to once every week or two, unless I am experimenting with my diet or exercises.  BUT that is because I have NORMAL BLOOD SUGAR!  Click here for my most recent test, on video. :)

I do not take A1c tests… Why not?

This article from Chris Kresser explains it better than I can, “Why A1c is not a reliable marker“.

Here is a quote from Chris’s post.

This proves that the assumption that everyone’s red blood cells live for three months is false, and that hemoglobin A1c can’t be relied upon as a blood sugar marker. In a person with normal blood sugar, hemoglobin will be around for a lot longer, which means it will accumulate more sugar. This will drive up the A1c test result – but it doesn’t mean that person had too much sugar in their blood. It just means their hemoglobin lived longer and thus accumulated more sugar. The result is that people with normal blood sugar often test with unexpectedly high A1c levels.

 

My point? … Chris is a sharp guy, but if he can figure this out… why can’t all the well paid researchers at the American Diabetes Ass. ?

… why did the American Diabetes Ass suggest a  flawed test?  And… why ONLY an A1c to determine when children are diabetic?

This is just another example of the failed policies of the American Diabetes Association … and I believe its’ because their policies are formed in the boardrooms of their largest donors.

Before you go… I am NOT saying not to have an A1c test, I am saying do NOT let that be your only measure…. especially if your child is showing signs of diabetes or has had high blood sugar readings.