We’ve developed a series of

diabetes tools

and

calculators

to help people with diabetes to better understand their condition.

Understanding more about diabetes can help people to better manage their disease and achieve better blood glucose control. We hope these diabetes tools and diabetes calculators are of use to you.

Choose a calculator:

Blood glucose checker

Blood Sugar Converter

Blood Results to Plasma Readings

HbA1c to Average Blood Sugar Level

DCCT to IFCC

Weight and Volume Calculator

BMI Calculator

BMR Calculator

Calorie Calculator

Cost of Drinking Calculator

Cost of Smoking Calculator

Food Exchange Calculator

Insulin

Target Heart Rate Calculator

Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator

Diabetes Test

The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is an easy way to get an idea of whether your cholesterol levels are healthy.

If you can achieve a healthy ratio of total cholesterol to HDL, and maintain this long-term, this can help to reduce your risk of heart problems in the future.

Using the calculator

To use the calculator, you will only need your total cholesterol figure and your HDL figure.

If you do not have either or both of these, ask your health team. People with diabetes in the UK should have total and HDL cholesterol measured at least once each year.

A ratio of under 4 is usually regarded as a sign of healthy cholesterol levels. ^[283]

Note that, whilst there is no official figure to aim for it is understood that the lower the figure, the healthier your cholesterol levels are.

The cholesterol charity Heart UK states that a figure above 6 is regarded as representing a high risk of heart disease. ^[286]

Calculate your cholesterol ratio

If you live in the UK, you will normally be given your cholesterol results in mmol/l.

Note that the calculator is only meant to serve as a guide.

If you have any questions your cholesterol levels, please discuss these questions with your health team.

Use this calculator to convert HbA1c to Average Blood Sugar Level The HbA1c level in your blood indicates what your average blood glucose level has been in the past 2 to 3 months.

Everyone, whether non-diabetic, pre-diabetic, type 1 diabetic or type 2 diabetic has some degree of sugar in their blood.

To convert between mg/dl and mmol/L, use our blood sugar converter You can then convert average blood glucose levels back to HbA1c units with the calculator below.

Recommended HbA1c ranges

The recommended HbA1c range for most with diabetes is to keep the value under 48 mmols/mol (under 6.5% in the old percentage units).

People at risk of hypoglycemia, or for whom such tight blood glucose regulation is not advised, may be advised to keep their HbA1c below 59 mmols/mol (under 7.5% in the old percentage units).

Because the two tests measure two different things, the calculator can only give an estimate and therefore there will always be some discrepancy between the value provided by the calculator and actual lab test results.

How accurate are the results?

The calculator looks to provide an estimate of what your HbA1c value may be based upon your average blood glucose results and vice versa. It’s important to note that HbA1c and blood glucose tests measure different things.

Blood glucose tests measure the concentration of glucose molecules in the blood at a single point in time.

The HbA1c test measures the proportion of haemoglobin molecules in the blood that have become chemically bonded with glucose over a period of up to 3 months.

However, the calculator serves as a useful guide which can give you a close indication of what your HbA1c result might be based on your blood glucose results?

What can I learn from converting my average blood glucose level to HbA1c?

Many people wish to calculate an estimate value of their HbA1c from their average blood glucose readings in preparation for an HbA1c lab result.

This can therefore give you the chance to prepare questions for your doctor or consultant prior to receiving your lab result.

What can I learn from converting my HbA1c to average blood glucose level?

Converting your lab test HbA1c to average blood glucose level can be useful to compare your own average blood glucose results.

If, for example, your own average blood glucose results are lower than the average provided by the calculator, this suggests you may not be testing during periods of the day when your blood glucose levels are higher, which could include after meals.

You may therefore wish to carry out more blood glucose testing at different times of day to see if you are experiencing high results that you may not otherwise be aware of.

Why was my HbA1c result higher/lower than the result given by the calculator?

In addition to the reasons given just above, there are some other practical reasons which may explain difference between the calculator’s estimate and your lab results. We will look at a few of the more common reasons for differences.

If you take a relatively high proportion of your blood glucose tests at the same time of day, eg upon waking, the HbA1c result the calculator gives will give a decent reflection of your early morning results but may not so well represent your blood glucose levels at other timers in the day.

Similarly, if you take more before meal, rather than after meal, readings, the HbA1c result given by the calculator will give a better reflection of your before meal results than after meal ones.

Typically, most people’s after meal results are higher than their before meal results, so if you take significantly more before meal results than after meal readings, you may find that the calculator gives you a lower result than your lab test result will.

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The Calorie Calculator determines the number of calories you’d burn based on your weight and activity.

Although BMI, BMR and Target Heart Rate calculator determine your Body Mass Index, Basal Metabolic Rate and your target heart rate during exercise, none determine the number of calories you’d burn by activity.

How to use the Calorie Calculator

The Calorie Calculator uses your weight (whether in lbs or kgs) to calculate the approximate number of calories you’d burn by activity – including resting and sleeping.

How much exercise should I be doing?

At least 30 minutes of activity, 5 days a week is recommended for most people as a baseline. Gnerally speaking, the more active you are the more fit you will be.

For those who are interested in slimming down and losing weight, the Calorie Calculator can help you to work out how much of which activity you need to do.

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See how much money you spend on smoking and how much you will save by cutting down on cigarettes or quitting smoking

Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health.

However, sometimes seeing the financial drain that cigarettes put on your budget – especially over the course of a year, can astound many.

Smoking is a diabetes risk factor

Smoking has been proven to be an independent risk factor for diabetes.

Further still, smoking if you have diabetes can lead to increased risks of heart disease and other diabetes complications

The waist to hip ratio calculator gives determines the possibility of health risks and is an indication of whether you have an apple or pear shaped figure.

The waist to hip ratio measurement is calculated by dividing the measurement of your waist by your hip measurement.

Research from the Institute of Preventative Medicine in Copenhagen has indicated people who have more weight around their waist are referred to as apple shaped and are subject to more health risks than pear shape figured people, who have more weight around their hips. ^[93]

Measuring your hips and waist

In order to get optimum readings for your waist and hip measurements, measure the circumference of your hips at the widest point of your buttocks.

For your hips, measure your waist, which should be just above your belly button. You may also be interested in the BMI calculator

To check your blood sugar level ranges use the blood sugar checker.

Whats the difference between mmol/L and mg/dL?

Both sets of units are used to measure blood sugar levels and both give a measurement of the concentration of glucose in the blood, albeit in slightly different ways.

mmol/L gives the molarity, which is the number of molecules of a substance within a specified volumen, in this case within 1 litre. mg/dL gives the concentration by the ratio of weight to volumen, in this case milligrams per decilitre.

mmol/L is the most common measurement used in the UK with mg/dL predominantly used in the USA and continental Europe.

• 
  mmol/L or Millimoles Per Litre:
  – International standard unit for measuring the concentration of glucose in the blood – also known as millimolar (mM). This unit is used in the UK.

• 
  mg/dL: Milligrams per 100 millilitres:
  Unit for measuring concentration of glucose in the blood in the USA – milligrams per decilitre.

Blood glucose typically varies from 4 mmol/L to 6 mmol/L for people without diabetes.

Blood sugar
(also called blood glucose) needs to be tightly controlled in the human body to minimise the risk of complications developing.

• 
  Formula to calculate mmol/l from mg/dl:
  
  mmol/l = mg/dl / 18
• 
  Formula to calculate mg/dl from mmol/l:
  
  mg/dl = 18 × mmol/l

Can I change the units given by my blood glucose meter?

This can depend on which

blood glucose meter
you have. Some meters allow you to change the units from mg/dL to mmol/L and vice versa whether some meters are only set up to display one set of units.

Check the meter’s manual for whether it is possible to change the units. If you don’t have or cannot find the manual, contact the manufacturer.

Why are blood sugar levels important?

Measuring blood sugar levels
and understanding what your glucose levels should be is an essential part of diabetes treatment for many people with diabetes.

Blood sugar level refers to the total amount of glucose circulating in the blood. In different parts of the world, different units for measuring blood glucose are standard.

Since June 2011, the way

HbA1c
values are reported has switched from a percentage to a measurement in mmols/mol. To make sense of the new units and compare these with old units and vice versa, use our HbA1c units converter.

Why did HbA1c units change?

The old, percentage way of reporting HbA1c values is known as the DCCT (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial) units.

The new mmols/mol values are known as the IFCC (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry) units.

See also:

European countries have been using the IFCC units for a number of years and usage of the IFCC units by the UK will allow easier comparisons to be made between UK and European results.

Haemoglobin molecules stay in the blood for around 3 months so the HbA1c test is able to give a measure of how glucose has interacted within our blood over up to a 3 month period.

Getting familiar with the HbA1c unit changes

Download a free chart which converts HbA1c in % units to mmol/mol and vice versa.

Are the new HbA1c units related to blood glucose test units?

The new HbA1c units (mmol/mol) looks similar to the units used for blood glucose tests (mmol/l) but they are measuring two different values.

The HbA1c test measures how much haemoglobin in the blood has become glycated (chemically bonded with glucose).

How does HbA1c differ to a blood glucose test?

Blood glucose tests, by comparison, measure the concentration of glucose molecules present in the blood at the very time of the test.

Check your blood sugar level and see whether it’s in the correct range according to NICE recommendations for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

How do I use the blood sugar checker?

To use the blood sugar checker, simply:

• Enter your latest blood glucose reading
• Specify whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• Whether you’ve eaten in the last 2 hours (pre or post meal)

Please note:

this tool is not intended to be used by pregnant women.

Recommended blood glucose levels have a degree of interpretation for every individual and you should discuss this with your healthcare team.

Why is it important to have blood glucose levels in the right range?

Our bodies are designed to operate at its best when our blood glucose levels are in a specific range.

When blood glucose levels become too low

If our blood glucose levels are too low, our ability to carry out mental and physical tasks becomes compromised.

For people who take insulin or certain medication that can cause low blood sugar levels (such as sulfonylureas and prandial glucose regulators), it is particularly important to prevent blood glucose levels going too low and causing

hypoglycemia

When blood glucose levels become too high

If our blood glucose levels rise too high, this can have health implications in the short term and the long term.

If our blood sugar levels are consistently too high, it increases the risk of suffering the long term

complications of diabetes
including:

• 
  Retinopathy (retinal damage)
• 
  Nephropathy (kidney disease)
• 
  Neuropathy (nerve damage)

If blood glucose levels go very high, it can become dangerous in the short term.

People with type 1 diabetes may be at risk of developing a serious condition called

ketoacidosis
if blood glucose levels stay above 14 mmol/l for too long.

People with type 2 diabetes may be at risk of dangerous condition called Hyperosmolar

Hyperglycemic Nonketotic Syndrome
if blood glucose rise above 40 mmol/l.