[ESC Guidelines Update 2021] HbA1c as an important indicator in the treatment of diabetes On August 30, at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in 2021, the new version of the clinical practice guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases was released, which made important recommendations for the treatment of diabetic patients. In terms of lifestyle: Suggest a lifestyle including smoking cessation, low saturated fat, high fiber diet, aerobic exercise and strength training. It is recommended that patients reduce their energy intake to help reduce weight or to place and slow down weight gain. (Class I, category A) On the blood glucose target value: For most patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and microvascular complications of diabetes, it is recommended that the target glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <7.0% (53mmol/mol) (Class I, Category A) The new version of the guidelines regards glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as an important indicator in the treatment of diabetes. What are the characteristics of glycosylated hemoglobin HbA1c? • The in vitro sample is stable and can be stable for 24 hours at room temperature; • Biological variation is small, within 2.0%; • No need to fast, blood can be collected at any time; • It has nothing to do with whether to use insulin or other factors; • Less affected by acute (such as stress, disease-related) blood glucose fluctuations.   So what is the difference between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and blood glucose test? The blood glucose check reflects the blood glucose concentration at the moment of blood draw; the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level reflects the average blood glucose level within 120 days. Detection of HbA1c has the value of early prompting in the screening of diabetes, and can be used as an indicator for early diagnosis of mild and "hidden" diabetes; in addition, in the treatment of diabetes, HbA1c is an important criterion for evaluating the effect of blood sugar control, as a reflection of blood A medium and long-term indicator of glucose level; HbA1c has important clinical significance for predicting microvascular complications and assessing the occurrence and development of chronic complications of diabetes.