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Units of measurement for blood sugar

pete5118

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Recently I had a check at the health centre. My HBA1C reading was given as 28, with the "normal" value being given as under 43.
They did not say what units of measurement were used. These figures do not seem to agree with mmol/l, or with the American system where the values are 18 times higher than when using mmol/l.
Can anyone help me with this, please?
 
An HbA1c, in the UK is given in mmol/mol. Spot readings, the ones you do with a meter, using blood from your finger tip, or laboratory ones giving a random or "at that point in time" reading, perhaps fasting, are given in mmol/L - subtle difference, but they are different units, so you cannot compare them. In the US, as you say, they use a different system.
Sally
 
HbA1c reflects your 'average' glucose level over a period of 2-3 months. (it measures the amount of glucose attached to the haemoglobin in your red blood cells )
In some countries, including the UK they use mmol/mol as the unit for this measurement. An HbA1c of 28mmol/mol is very normal
Previously in the UK (and still in many countries) they used a percentage. An HbA1c of 28mmol/mol is the same as 4.7%.


The confusion you have is with the units used to measure immediate blood glucose levels (ie just that point in time;the result you would get with a blood glucose meter or if a doctor measured your fasting blood glucose)
In the UK and some other countries the unit for this measurement is mmol/l.
Elsewhere, they use mg/dl and as you say you multiply by 18 to convert mmol/l to mg/dl

Your HbA1c of 28mmol/mol equates to an estimated average glucose level of 4.9mmol/l over the last couple of months.
 
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