The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says that truck drivers are 50% more likely than other people to get Type 2 diabetes. At the moment, there are about 500,000 truck drivers with diabetes on the roads in the United States. This is about one out of every seven drivers.
– National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy & Truck Drivers
Since diabetes is one of the chronic diseases with the fastest rate of growth worldwide and is more common in truck drivers, it is important to be informed about it and take preventative measures. A CDL is immediately lost for truck drivers who have peripheral neuropathy, which affects 60% to 70% of people with diabetes and causes them to lose feeling in their hands and/or feet.
Without proper diabetes management, drivers run the danger of experiencing diabetic episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can cause them to feel lightheaded and confused or even pass out while driving. This is not something that you want to occur when someone is operating a commercial vehicle.
– National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health
Can I get my Medical Card if my A1C is high?
A1C is measured primarily to determine your three-month average Blood Sugar Level and can be used as a diagnostic test for Diabetes Mellitus and as an assessment test for glycemic control.
Part of the DOT physical is a urine analysis to screen the function of the kidneys for any medical issues or diseases such as diabetes. If you have diabetes, you will need to bring in your recent hemoglobin A1C (within 3 months) from your primary care physician to your appointment for the Medical Examiner to evaluate. We offer the A1C test at Kyro Care if you have not been tested recently.
A1C under 9.5% = 1 YEAR Certification.
A1C 9.6-12% = 3 MONTH Certification.
A1C above 9.5% after 3 month certification = NON-CERTIFIABLE.
Diabetes Diagnosis:
What Does the A1C Test Measure?
A protein found in your red blood cells called hemoglobin is where sugar binds when it enters your bloodstream. Although everyone’s hemoglobin has some sugar connected to it, those with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1C test calculates the proportion of your red blood cells with hemoglobin coated in sugar for a three month period.
Testing for Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes:
Get a baseline A1C test if you’re an adult over age 45—or if you’re under 45, are overweight, and have one or more risk factors for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes:
· Repeat the A1C test every three years if your results are normal but you are over 45, have risk factors, or have ever had gestational diabetes.
· Talk to your doctor about taking action right now to improve your health and reduce your chance of developing type 2 diabetes if your test results indicate you have prediabetes. The A1C test should be repeated as frequently as your doctor advises, typically every one to two years. However, if you have been diagnosed, it is recommended to test every 3-4 months to monitor and manage your diagnosis.
Get another test on a separate day to confirm the results if you don’t have symptoms but your results indicate you have pre-diabetes or diabetes. If your test results indicate that you have diabetes, ask your doctor to recommend diabetes self-management education and support programs so that you can get the best start controlling your diabetes.
Your A1C Result: Diagnosing Prediabetes Or Diabetes
An A1C result of 5.7% or less is considered normal, 5.7% to 6.4% is considered prediabetes, and 6.5% or above is considered diabetes. The higher your A1C, the greater your risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes within the 5.7% to 6.4% pre-diabetes range.
Feel free to come to us with any questions