THE main goal of diabetes treatment is to keep blood sugar levels within a target range. In order to do this, blood sugar levels must be monitored so as to avoid further complications. But, how often should diabetics have an official blood test done?

Consultant endocrinologist at the Tropical Medicine Research Institute at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Dr Michael Boyne told the Jamaica Observer that the two best blood tests to have done are fasting blood sugar, which is done first thing in the morning before eating, and the haemoglobin A1C test, which is sometimes called the three-month sugar test because it gives an idea of the average blood sugar over the last three months.

“We believe that… if your fasting (blood sugar) is high and your A1C is high, you should have a repeat test done by the doctor within three months,” the endocrinologist explained in a recent interview. “Once the levels are normal, generally speaking when you wake up in the morning your fasting blood sugar is between five and six and your A1C is less than seven per cent, then those persons can have less frequent visits.”

Dr Boyne explained that under the circumstances where the levels are normal, diabetics may be able to go to six months before they would require another test by their doctor.

“But in terms of if they are not well-controlled, within three months, they need to be reassessed,” Dr Boyne stressed.

He however explained that there are exceptions to this rule.

“Persons who have Type 1 diabetes, which some people view as the juvenile type, persons who are pregnant and diabetic, they need to be sorted out faster because the sugar affects the foetus,” he explained. “Or persons who have very severe disease, their sugar levels are through the roof, then I would probably want to do testsmore frequently.”

Dr Boyne responded however that for the average diabetic, they should have a blood test done by their doctor every three months.

-Anika Richards