A1C Test Goals
What's a "normal" A1C result? For a person who doesn't have diabetes, about 5% of the hemoglobin A1C molecules have blood sugar molecules attached to them. That would correlate to an A1C test result of 5%.1
Without proper treatment, people with diabetes can have A1C results that are much higher. According to the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), for every point you lower your A1C result, you can significantly reduce the risk of long-term diabetes complications such as nerve damage, eye disease, and kidney and cardiovascular problems. Even if you already have some complications from diabetes, lowering your A1C may help reduce the symptoms or reverse the problem altogether.2
In addition, the Diabetes Control and Complication Study (DCCT) showed that an A1C that's close to normal can reduce your risk of:
| Diabetes Complication | Reduced Risk3 |
| Eye Disease (Retinopathy) | 76% |
| Kidney Disease (Nephropathy) | 50% |
| Nerve Damage (Neuropathy) | 60% |
Using the chart below, you can see how your A1C result correlates to average blood sugar. For example, if you have an average plasma blood sugar of 170 mg/dL your A1C would be 7%.
| Average Plasma Blood Glucose | A1C Result |
| 100 mg/dL | 5% |
| 135 mg/dL | 6% |
| 170 mg/dL | 7% |
| 205 mg/dL | 8% |
| 240 mg/dL | 9% |
| 275 mg/dL | 10% |
| 310 mg/dL | 11% |
| 345 mg/dL | 12% |
If your A1C test result is higher than recommended, it's important to take steps to improve control. Talk to your healthcare team for suggestions and support. For people with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends an A1C of less than 7%,1 while the American College of Endocrinology (ACE)4 and International Diabetes Federation (IDF)5 suggest 6.5% or lower.
1 American Diabetes Association, "A1C Test." Available at http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/a1c-test.jsp . Accessed on February 3, 2006.
2 UK Prospective Diabetes Study. Available at http://www.dtu.ox.ac.uk/index.html?maindoc=/ukpds/. Accessed on February 3, 2006.
3 Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Available at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/control/. Accessed on February 3, 2006.
4 The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Medical Guidelines for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus. Available at http://www.aace.com/clin/guidelines/diabetes_2002.pdf. Accessed on February 3, 2006.
5 International Diabetes Federation. Available at http://www.idf.org/home/. Accessed on February 3, 2006.