Glycosylation of hemoglobin, and other proteins, takes place
over time. That is why concentration of glycosylated hemoglobin is
used to determine whether high blood sugar level seen in other
tests is recent or has been present for a long time. To put it
simply, if a patient has a high glucose level, you cannot tell
whether it is a problem, or it is just that the person has eaten a
while back. On the other hand, if the glycosylated hemoglobin level
is high, you know for sure it is a long-term problem.