Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
HbA1c shows your average blood glucose over the last 2–3 months. It is the standard test for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes.
What it measures
When glucose circulates in your blood, a fraction of it sticks irreversibly to haemoglobin inside red blood cells — that's HbA1c. Because red blood cells live ~120 days, the HbA1c reading reflects average blood sugar across the previous 2–3 months and is much harder to game than a single fasting glucose. It is the WHO- and ADA-endorsed test for diagnosing and monitoring type 2 diabetes.
What a high value can mean
- 5.7–6.4% — prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose). Lifestyle intervention reduces progression risk by 40–60%.
- ≥6.5% — meets diabetes diagnostic threshold on confirmation.
- >9% — poorly controlled diabetes; raises retinopathy, nephropathy and cardiovascular risk significantly.
- >10% — endocrinology referral recommended.
What a low value can mean
- Recent significant blood loss — replaces older glycated red cells with fresh ones.
- Hemolytic anaemia — shortened red-cell lifespan reduces glycation window.
- Recent transfusion — donor cells lower the average.
- Hemoglobinopathies (sickle cell trait, thalassaemia) — some lab methods over- or under-read.
When to discuss with a doctor
HbA1c at or above 6.5% requires confirmation and prompt evaluation by your primary-care doctor. Between 5.7% and 6.4% is prediabetes — a window where structured exercise and dietary change reverse the trajectory in most patients. Mediora.AI calls out these thresholds with your last reading; consult a clinician before changing diabetes medication.