HbA1c Test in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is an HbA1c test?
An HbA1c test is a blood test that measures the share of your haemoglobin that has sugar attached to it. Haemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells, and sugar in the blood sticks to it slowly and permanently. The higher your blood sugar has been, the more haemoglobin becomes "glycated".
Because a red blood cell lives for around three months, the HbA1c test in Sharjah at Dar Al Kamal Hospital gives a picture of your average blood sugar over that period, weighted towards the most recent weeks. A finger-prick or fasting glucose reading shows one moment; HbA1c shows the trend behind it. That is why a single heavy meal, a stressful morning or a skipped breakfast has little effect on the result.
The result is reported either as a percentage or in millimoles per mole, depending on the laboratory's format. Your doctor explains which format your report uses and what your number means for you.
Who needs it
Doctors use HbA1c for three main purposes:
- Diagnosis. HbA1c is one of the accepted ways to diagnose type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, usually confirmed with a second test.
- Monitoring. For people already living with diabetes, HbA1c shows how well the current treatment plan is working and guides changes to diet, activity and medicines, as described on the diabetes management page.
- Screening. HbA1c is often part of a routine check for adults with risk factors, and it features in many health check-up packages.
Risk factors that prompt a check include a family history of diabetes, being overweight, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, a past history of diabetes in pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome, and symptoms such as unusual thirst, passing urine often, blurred vision or slow-healing cuts. Type 2 diabetes is common in the UAE and often develops quietly for years, so doctors here check HbA1c readily from early adulthood in people with risk factors.
Diabetes that starts during pregnancy is usually diagnosed with a glucose tolerance test instead, covered on the gestational diabetes care page.
What happens
HbA1c needs only a small blood sample. At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, the laboratory runs 24 hours a day and accepts walk-ins for most routine tests, so you can bring your doctor's request at a time that suits you.
A phlebotomist confirms your name and details, applies a tourniquet to your upper arm, cleans the skin and draws blood from a vein into a small tube. The draw itself is quick. The tube is labelled in front of you and sent for analysis, and pressure over the site with a small plaster finishes the visit.
HbA1c is often requested together with other tests from the same sample or the same visit, such as kidney function, cholesterol, a urine test for protein, or a fasting glucose. If any of those need fasting, the request form or the laboratory team will tell you in advance.
Preparing for it
Preparation for HbA1c alone is simple:
- Eat and drink normally; fasting is unnecessary for HbA1c.
- Take your usual medicines as normal, including diabetes medicines, unless your doctor has given other instructions.
- Bring your Emirates ID, insurance card, the request form and any previous HbA1c results.
During Ramadan, HbA1c is a convenient test because the result is unaffected by whether you are fasting that day, so it can be taken at any time. It helps to mention recent blood loss, a recent blood transfusion, pregnancy, or a known blood condition such as thalassaemia trait or sickle cell trait, because these change how the result is read.
Afterwards
You can return to your normal day straight away. A small bruise at the needle site is normal and fades over a few days.
Results are usually ready soon and are sent to the doctor who requested the test, who explains them in the context of your health. Depending on the result, next steps may include lifestyle advice, a repeat test to confirm a diagnosis, a new or adjusted treatment plan, or a date for the next check. People with diabetes typically have HbA1c repeated at intervals their doctor sets, more often while treatment is being changed.
Contact the hospital if the needle site becomes red, hot, swollen or increasingly painful. Seek urgent care at the emergency department if you have very high blood sugar readings with vomiting, drowsiness, confusion or deep, fast breathing.
Cost and insurance
Most UAE insurance plans cover HbA1c when a doctor requests it to diagnose or monitor diabetes, and routine monitoring at regular intervals is usually covered for people with a diabetes diagnosis. Some plans limit how often the test is covered in a year. When HbA1c is part of a check-up package or a screening panel, cover depends on your plan. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you confirm your cover on 06 599 7777.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the risks of an HbA1c test?
An HbA1c test carries the small risks of any blood draw: bruising, brief soreness, feeling faint and, rarely, infection at the needle site. The larger limitation is accuracy in some people, because conditions that change red blood cell lifespan can make the result read falsely high or low.
Do I need to fast before an HbA1c test?
You do not need to fast before an HbA1c test, because the result reflects your average blood sugar over recent months rather than what you ate that morning. If other tests such as a fasting glucose or cholesterol are taken at the same visit, follow the fasting instructions for those.
Can anaemia or thalassaemia affect my HbA1c result?
Anaemia, thalassaemia trait, sickle cell trait, recent blood loss, a recent transfusion and advanced kidney disease can all make an HbA1c result less reliable. In these situations your doctor may rely on glucose measurements or another test to judge your blood sugar instead.
Can HbA1c be used to diagnose diabetes in pregnancy?
HbA1c is generally unsuitable for diagnosing diabetes that develops during pregnancy, because red blood cells turn over faster in pregnancy and the test responds slowly to recent changes. A glucose tolerance test is the usual test for gestational diabetes.
Why is my HbA1c different from my glucose meter readings?
HbA1c reflects the average of every hour over roughly three months, while a meter captures single moments, often before meals. Readings taken at the same times each day can miss high sugar levels after meals or overnight, so the two measures complement each other.
Can I take an HbA1c test during Ramadan?
You can take an HbA1c test during Ramadan at any time of day, because the result reflects the previous months and is unaffected by that day's fast. A test taken after Ramadan will partly reflect the change in eating pattern during the month.
How often should HbA1c be checked?
The interval between HbA1c tests is set by your doctor based on your diagnosis and treatment. People whose treatment has recently changed are usually checked more often than those who are stable, and retesting too soon shows little change because the result moves slowly.
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