HbA1c: the test that catches diabetes before you know you have it
A single blood draw shows your average blood sugar over three months. Here's how to read the result and what to do next.
Roughly 1 in 3 adults has prediabetes, and 80% of them don't know it. HbA1c catches it years before symptoms appear — while it's still fully reversible.
The ranges
- Under 5.7% — normal.
- 5.7 – 6.4% — prediabetes.
- 6.5% or higher (on two separate tests) — diabetes.
If you land in the prediabetes zone, the standard intervention — losing 5–7% of body weight and walking 150 minutes a week — cuts your progression risk by nearly 60%. It works better than the first-line drug.
'I'd like an HbA1c added to my bloodwork. I want to know if I'm heading toward diabetes.'
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