What Does an HbA1C Blood Test Measure?

Although your lab testing tracks several key metabolic markers, healthcare practitioners use HbA1C as a blood test for diabetes diagnoses, which is why HbA1C tests are so important and often suggested for patients believed to be prediabetic or diabetic. In some cases, you may hear these referred to as glycated hemoglobin tests or simply A1C tests.

The specific purpose of HbA1C blood tests is to check your average blood sugar levels over the last 3 months, through interpreting your HbA1C results. Your practitioner may suggest HbA1C for glucose (blood sugar) testing, in order to provide you with a clear diagnosis and be able to create an efficient management plan for you.

The results of your test can be held against standard HbA1C measurements to determine the stability and strength of your ongoing blood sugar levels. The HbA1C calculator shows that A1C levels range from:

• 5.9 mmol/L or less = normal (or low HbA1c levels)
• Between 6.0 mmol/L to 6.4 mmol/L = prediabetic levels
• Above 6.5 mmol/L = diabetic (high HbA1c levels)

Anything above 6.5 mmol/L is considered high HbA1C levels. Left uncontrolled and unmonitored, this is what a dangerous level of A1C can look like.