New official guidelines for diabetes screening and diagnosis now include the hemoglobin A1C test.

The test, which measures a person's average blood glucose level over the previous two to three months, is not new but has been used increasingly as it has become more standardized and reproducible from place to place and time to time than otehr diabetes blood glucose tests.

In an annual supplement to the journal Diabetes Care, published Dec. 29 by the American Diabetes Association, the A1C test is given a prominent role in the 2010 guidelines for diabetes screening, diagnosis, and prevention.

In particular, the section, "Revisions to the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes," recommends that the A1C be used to identify people with "pre-diabetes," those at increased risk for developing the type 2 form of the disease.

The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) Results for Life Campaign applauds the ADA decision to recommend the hemoglobin A1C test as a means of diagnosing diabetes and identifying pre-diabetes.

"This recommendation will help in the battle against diabetes because the HbA1C test, unlike other tests, does not require individuals to fast ahead of time," said David Mongillo, Vice President of Policy and Medical Affairs for ACLA. "We hope this increased convenience will allow more individuals to get tested and find out whether they are at risk."