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HbA1c 5.6% · 38 mmol/mol

HbA1c 5.6%

Converted with the published ADAG regression. What it means for you is a question for a doctor, not for this page.

114 mg/dL An HbA1c of 5.6% corresponds to an estimated average glucose of about 114 mg/dL, which is 6.3 mmol/L. In IFCC units the same result is 38 mmol/mol.

Against the American Diabetes Association criteria, 5.6% is below the prediabetes range. That is a statement about a published threshold — it is not a diagnosis, and a diagnosis requires confirmation and a doctor.

This page is reference information, not medical advice.

Nothing here can diagnose you, and nothing here is a treatment plan. Blood glucose results are interpreted by a doctor alongside your history, your symptoms and a repeat test — a single number on a screen is not a diagnosis. If any reading concerns you, or if you feel unwell, see a doctor rather than a website.

The arithmetic

28.7 × 5.6 − 46.7 = 114.0 mg/dL · 114.0 ÷ 18.016 = 6.33 mmol/L
(5.6 − 2.15) × 10.929 = 37.7 mmol/mol

Rounded on this page to 114 mg/dL, 6.3 mmol/L and 38 mmol/mol. The equation is the ADAG regression from Diabetes Care 2008, which is the one the American Diabetes Association uses; the mmol/mol line is the NGSP master equation.

Source: Nathan DM, Kuenen J, Borg R, Zheng H, Schoenfeld D, Heine RJ, for the A1c-Derived Average Glucose (ADAG) Study Group. Translating the A1C assay into estimated average glucose values. Diabetes Care 2008;31(8):1473–1478. Link
Source: National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) — HbA1c and estimated average glucose (eAG). Link

Where 5.6% sits

HbA1c converted to estimated average glucose with the ADAG regression, eAG (mg/dL) = 28.7 × A1C − 46.7. The mmol/mol column is the IFCC unit, from the NGSP master equation. The final column reads the A1C against the ADA diagnostic bands.
HbA1c (%)mmol/moleAG (mg/dL)eAG (mmol/L)Where it sits
5.1% 32 100 5.5 Below the prediabetes range
5.2% 33 103 5.7 Below the prediabetes range
5.3% 34 105 5.9 Below the prediabetes range
5.4% 36 108 6.0 Below the prediabetes range
5.5% 37 111 6.2 Below the prediabetes range
5.6% 38 114 6.3 Below the prediabetes range
5.7% 39 117 6.5 In the prediabetes range
5.8% 40 120 6.6 In the prediabetes range
5.9% 41 123 6.8 In the prediabetes range
6.0% 42 126 7.0 In the prediabetes range
6.1% 43 128 7.1 In the prediabetes range

Estimated average glucose is an average across roughly the previous three months. It is not a prediction of your reading tomorrow morning, and two people with the same HbA1c can have very different day-to-day swings.

The complete chart from 4.0% to 14.0% →

What this page is careful not to say

It does not tell you whether 5.6% is good or bad for you, because that depends on things a web page cannot see — whether you have already been diagnosed, what else is on your report, whether you have a condition that makes HbA1c unreliable, and what your doctor is trying to achieve. It publishes no targets for anyone.

A result below the prediabetes range is reassuring at the moment it was taken. It is not a permanent result, and it does not mean testing never needs repeating.

General information only — NOT medical advice, and never a diagnosis. Only a doctor can interpret your results and diagnose or treat diabetes. If a reading concerns you, see a doctor rather than a website.

PeakForm is a training and accountability programme. It is not a treatment for diabetes or prediabetes, it is not a substitute for your doctor's advice, and nothing on this site should be acted on before speaking to one.

Common questions

What does an HbA1c of 5.6% mean?
On the American Diabetes Association criteria, 5.6% is below the prediabetes range. It converts to an estimated average glucose of about 114 mg/dL (6.3 mmol/L) using the ADAG equation. A single value is not a diagnosis — published criteria require confirmation, and interpretation belongs to a doctor.
What is 5.6% HbA1c in mg/dL?
About 114 mg/dL as an estimated average glucose across the previous two to three months, from eAG = 28.7 × 5.6 − 46.7. That is an average, not a reading you would expect to see on a meter at any particular moment.
What is 5.6% in mmol/mol?
38 mmol/mol, using the NGSP master equation (percentage − 2.15) × 10.929. Both units describe the same measurement.

General information only — NOT medical advice, and never a diagnosis. Only a doctor can interpret your results and diagnose or treat diabetes. If a reading concerns you, see a doctor rather than a website. Every threshold, equation and glycemic index value used on this site is listed with its publication on the data & method page.

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