In people with type 2 diabetes, red blood cells don’t live as long when there’s a bigger mismatch between their actual HbA1c levels and what those levels should be based on blood sugar — meaning the body’s sugar coating on blood cells doesn’t always match up with sugar levels.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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The influence of shorter red blood cell lifespan on the rate of HbA1c target achieved in type 2 diabetes patients with a HbA1c detection value lower than 7%

Cross-Sectional Study

Human

2023 Jan

The study found that people with type 2 diabetes who have shorter-lived red blood cells tend to have a bigger gap between their HbA1c test results and what their blood sugar levels would predict, just like the claim says.

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Source Study

The influence of shorter red blood cell lifespan on the rate of HbA1c target achieved in type 2 diabetes patients with a HbA1c detection value lower than 7%

Score: 51

DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.13345

Similar Assertions

If someone with type 2 diabetes has red blood cells that don’t live as long, their A1c test might be giving a lower number than their real blood sugar levels — meaning the test could be misleading for them.

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If someone with type 2 diabetes has red blood cells that don't live as long as usual, their A1c test might show better blood sugar control than they actually have — meaning doctors could miss signs of high blood sugar over time.

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88%

If you have type 2 diabetes and your red blood cells don’t live as long—less than 75 days—your A1c test might not give a true picture of your blood sugar control, because the test could show lower numbers than reality.

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86%

Some people with diabetes might seem to have good blood sugar control based on standard tests, but if their red blood cells don’t live as long, the test could be misleading — and nearly 1 in 3 of these patients might actually have worse blood sugar levels than the test shows.

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86%

If someone with type 2 diabetes has good HbA1c numbers but their red blood cells don’t live as long, their blood sugar might actually be higher than the test shows — meaning the test could be giving them a too-rosy picture of their sugar control.

51

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84%