Just a quick update to let you all know that Arden’s A1c level has fallen from 8.5 to 8 since see started using an insulin pump!  An 8 indicates that Arden’s average BG is about 205 which is a bit high but still in range for her age group.  Hopefully as we begin to understand some of the pump’s more intricate functions we can bring her number down even more.  The OmniPod should definitely be credited with this successes.

More info about A1c - Hemoglobin A, a protein found inside red blood cells, carries oxygen throughout the body. When there is glucose in the bloodstream, it can actually stick (glycate) to the hemoglobin A protein. More glucose in the blood means that more glucose sticks to hemoglobin, and a higher percent of hemoglobin proteins become glycated.

Once glucose sticks to a hemoglobin protein, it typically remains for the lifespan of the hemoglobin A protein — as long as 120 days. Therefore, at any moment, the glucose attached to the hemoglobin A protein reflects the level of the blood sugar over the last two to three months.

The A1c test measures how much glucose is actually stuck to hemoglobin A, or more specifically, what percent of hemoglobin proteins are glycated. Thus, having a 7% A1c means that 7% of the hemoglobin proteins are glycated.