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A1C Levels Explained: What the Percentages Mean
A1C levels explained simply: the A1C test measures your average blood sugar over the past 3 months. The CDC calls under 5.7 percent normal, 5.7 to 6.4 percent prediabetes, and 6.5 percent or higher diabetes. Your clinician reads the result with your history.
Written by the Payarmin label deskUpdated · 4 min read
The test01
What is A1C?
A1C is a blood test that shows your average blood sugar over the past 3 months (CDC, A1C test).
That long window is the point. A single finger-stick shows one moment. A1C shows the stretch behind it, so one big dinner does not swing it much.
The result is a percentage. A higher percentage means a higher average.
The ranges02
What do the A1C percentages mean?
The CDC groups A1C into three bands: normal, prediabetes and diabetes (CDC, A1C test).
| A1C result | Band |
|---|---|
| Below 5.7 percent | Normal |
| 5.7 to 6.4 percent | Prediabetes |
| 6.5 percent or higher | Diabetes |
NIDDK gives the same prediabetes band of 5.7 to 6.4 percent (NIDDK, Insulin resistance and prediabetes). We did not find a source in our list that converts A1C into a daily glucose number, so we skip that chart.
Reading a result03
How do you read your own A1C?
Find your number in the band table, then ask what changed since the last test.
Your lab sheet shows 5.9 percent. That falls in the 5.7 to 6.4 percent band (CDC, A1C test). It is not a diagnosis. It is a prompt to talk with a clinician about repeat testing and about habits.
Targets for people who already have diabetes are individual. The CDC page says they are set by the care team (CDC, A1C test).
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See packsSupplements04
Can a supplement change A1C?
No supplement label can promise a change in your A1C, and Payarmin has no trial of its own.
NCCIH says that for most supplements there is no evidence of a beneficial effect on diabetes or its complications (NCCIH, Diabetes and supplements). The same page warns against replacing medical treatment with an unproven product.
Keep taking prescribed medicine. Read the Supplement Facts before you buy, and see the blog index for related reading.
FAQ05
A1C questions
How often should A1C be tested?
We did not find a testing schedule in our sources, so we do not give one. Your clinician sets the timing from your history and past results. Because A1C reflects about 3 months, retesting sooner than that rarely shows much.
Is 5.6 percent normal?
Yes by the CDC bands, since normal is below 5.7 percent. A result of 5.7 starts the prediabetes band. A clinician still reads the number with your history, so treat a borderline result as a reason to ask.
Does fasting change an A1C result?
A1C measures a 3-month average, according to the CDC, so one fasting morning does not define it. Fasting plasma glucose is a separate test with its own cut-offs. Ask the lab whether you need to fast.
What is the difference between A1C and fasting glucose?
A1C shows the 3-month average, while fasting glucose shows one reading after hours without food. NIDDK lists prediabetes at 5.7 to 6.4 percent for A1C and 100 to 125 mg/dL for fasting plasma glucose.
Who wrote this06
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Gopayarmin, a Payarmin U.S. shop, not by the manufacturer or the distributor. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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