- Physical Examination
- Surgical Examination
- Ophthalmology
- Clinical Skills
- Orthopedics
- Surgery Videos
- Laparoscopy
- Pediatrics
- Funny Videos
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Nursing Videos
- Plastic Surgery
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Histology and Histopathology
- Neurosurgery
- Dermatology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Urology
- Dentistry
- Oncology and Cancers
- Anatomy Videos
- Health and Fitness
- Radiology
- Anaesthesia
- Physical Therapy
- Pharmacology
- Interventional Radiology
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gynecology
- Emergency Medicine
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Childbirth Videos
- General Medical Videos
- Nephrology
- Physiology
- Diet and Food Health
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Neurology
- Women Health
- Osteoporosis
- Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Hematology
- Rheumatology
- Toxicology
- Nuclear Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Vascular Disease
- Reproductive Health
- Burns and Wound Healing
- Kidney Zone Podcast
- Other
Hemoglobin A1c
Abbreviation: HbA1c
Panel: Diabetes Tests · All diabetes tests
Typical adult reference range
| Conventional units | 4.0–5.6 % |
| SI units | 20–38 mmol/mol |
Ranges vary between laboratories and methods — compare your result with the range printed on your own report.
What a high or low result can mean
High hemoglobin a1c: high values can be seen in diabetes mellitus and reflect higher average blood glucose.
Low hemoglobin a1c: low values may occur with shortened red cell survival, recent transfusion, or some hemoglobin variants.
These are associations, not a diagnosis: the same result can have several causes, and your clinician interprets it with the rest of your results and history.
Good to know
Reflects average blood glucose over roughly the previous 2–3 months; SI units are IFCC units.
Related tests — Diabetes Tests
Please note: Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and between the methods and instruments they use — the range printed on your own report is the one your result should be compared with. A result outside the range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a result inside it does not rule out illness. These pages are an educational summary, not medical advice: always discuss your results with the clinician who ordered them, who can interpret them in the context of your health and history.