Fructosamine is a marker used to assess blood sugar control over the past 2–3 weeks, making it a useful alternative to HbA1c for monitoring diabetes. This test is particularly beneficial for people with conditions that affect red blood cell lifespan, such as anaemia, or those who need a more short-term view of glucose management.
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What's in the test?
Diabetes
Fructosamine
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Fructosamine is a marker of sugar control in the body reflecting the average sugar level in the blood over the previous 2-3 weeks. It is the best way for people with haemoglobin problems to check how well their body has been controlling their glucose levels over the past few weeks. This is because conditions such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia can cause a lower than expected HbA1c result. When glucose levels are raised in the blood over a period of time, glucose molecules permanently combine with proteins in the blood. These combined molecules remain for the life of the protein and provide a record of the average amount of glucose present in the blood over that time period. The fructosamine test reflects the average glucose levels over a 2 to 3 week time period as serum proteins have a lifespan, of around 14 to 21 days.
How to prepare for your test
Prepare for your Fructosamine Blood Test by following these instructions. Do not take vitamin C (ascorbic acid) for one month before taking this test.
Test limitations
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FAQs
What can I learn from this test?
Our fructosamine test can tell you your average glucose levels over two to three weeks, as serum proteins have a lifespan of around 14 to 21 days.
What's the difference between fructosamine and HbA1c tests?
Both fructosamine and HbA1c tests can monitor sugar levels in the body, which is especially useful for diabetics as a monitoring tool for controlling their sugar levels. HbA1c is more common, but fructosamine may be useful where HbA1c cannot be reliably measured. That may be the case if you have anaemia, sickle cell anaemia, or thalassemia.
What is fructosamine?
Fructosamine is a marker of sugar control in the body that reflects the average blood sugar level over the previous two-three weeks. When glucose levels are raised over time, glucose molecules permanently combine with proteins in the blood. These combined molecules remain for the life of the protein and give you an average for the amount of glucose present in the blood.