Heart Beat: Converting blood sugar to HbA1c
Like a crazed roller coaster, blood sugar rises and falls throughout the day, shooting up after a carbohydrate-heavy meal and falling with fasting or exercise. Blood sugar readings are an essential tool for people with diabetes. These readings are great snapshots, but they don't tell you anything about a more important metric — average daily blood sugar.
A test that can do just that is the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test. It measures the percentage of hemoglobin molecules (the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells) that have become coated with glucose (sugar). The higher the average daily blood sugar over a three-month period, the higher the HbA1c value. People who don't have diabetes typically have an HbA1c reading of 6 or lower.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
