What's a healthy or normal HbA1c result?

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Cheltonian31

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I know that an HbA1c over 48 is the diagnostic theshold for type 2 diabetes, that between 42 and 48 is considered prediabetic and below 42 is non diabetic, but what's the usual range below 42? Is it 0 to 42? Or is there a number below 42 that is also considered too low for good health. I have googled for an answer but not found anything.
Thanks.
 
I don't know the actual number but I am pretty sure there is a minimum number because our body (and brain) needs a minimum amount of glucose. I would assume anything below a certain level would suggest someone with a BG constantly hypo.
 
My GPs bring it up at 42 as it should be lower than that. As far as I am aware 20 to 41 is healthy. 42 to 47 is pre-diabetic and 48 and over is diabetic. It does not mean you will go diabetic if you get a pre-diabetic reading though. I was 42 then it went back to 40 for a few years. Now it is 42 again.

Not sure if age comes into it. I would imagine although I am not certain that GPs would probably expect to see readings in the 20s for a healthy non diabetic who was maybe in their 20s or 30s but maybe would not expect to see it in someone in their 70s or 80s. Not sure though.
 
Cheltonian31 said:
I know that an HbA1c over 48 is the diagnostic theshold for type 2 diabetes, that between 42 and 48 is considered prediabetic and below 42 is non diabetic, but what's the usual range below 42? Is it 0 to 42? Or is there a number below 42 that is also considered too low for good health. I have googled for an answer but not found anything.
Thanks.
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I have yet to see anybody mention a number below about 35mmol/mol that they have achieved but again it all depends.
There will be a difference in what people would be able to be at depending on whether they actually have a diabetes diagnosis, what medication they take, what diet they maintain, how old they are and probably other factors as well including what diabetic Type they are.
If people who are not diagnosed or who have never had an HbA1C we will never know what their HbA1C is so it could be below 30mmol/mol.
 
Maz2 said:
It does not mean you will go diabetic if you get a pre-diabetic reading though.
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I think that's why the term 'At Risk of Diabetes' is now often used instead, including on this site where there's no 'Pre-diabetes' option on the Relationship to Diabetes list on our account details page.
 
Cheltonian31 said:
I know that an HbA1c over 48 is the diagnostic theshold for type 2 diabetes, that between 42 and 48 is considered prediabetic and below 42 is non diabetic, but what's the usual range below 42? Is it 0 to 42? Or is there a number below 42 that is also considered too low for good health. I have googled for an answer but not found anything.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
I just got my latest HbA1c results in the post today and the reference (non-diabetic) range listed is 25-44 mmol/mol or 4.5-6.2%.

I'm in Germany and this range might vary a bit country to country.
 
I have asked my GP the very same question out of curiosity. However, his response was what I didn't expect, it was and I quote, 'There is no need to worry about that'. Before I was able to continue to say I wasn't worried simply curious, he moved the conversation to his favour topic, Statins...sigh.
 
Finn said:
I just got my latest HbA1c results in the post today and the reference (non-diabetic) range listed is 25-44 mmol/mol or 4.5-6.2%.

I'm in Germany and this range might vary a bit country to country.
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That is interesting as it is slightly different. I wonder if they just do normal and diabetic rather than normal, pre-diabetic and diabetic as we do here.
 
Leadinglights said:
I have yet to see anybody mention a number below about 35mmol/mol that they have achieved but again it all depends.
There will be a difference in what people would be able to be at depending on whether they actually have a diabetes diagnosis, what medication they take, what diet they maintain, how old they are and probably other factors as well including what diabetic Type they are.
If people who are not diagnosed or who have never had an HbA1C we will never know what their HbA1C is so it could be below 30mmol/mol.
Click to expand...
I am serially 31-33, almost toggling back and forth. My lowest lab bloods have been 28.

My OH, who is not diabetic is usually in the high 20s, eating whatever he wants, although he has a great "Off" switch when he has eaten enough, and eats a varied diet.
 
The lower bound quoted on my lab results here in Oz is 20, which matches what I've seen elsewhere.

A figure in the 20's is routine for many non-diabetics.
 
I wonder if the temperature/climate in Australia has a bearing on HbA1c results and hence you have slightly lower thresholds.
 
rebrascora said:
I wonder if the temperature/climate in Australia has a bearing on HbA1c results and hence you have slightly lower thresholds.
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I think it's derived from a US standard lower bound of 4% = 20 mmol/mol
 
Eddy Edson said:
I think it's derived from a US standard lower bound of 4% = 20 mmol/mol
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Yes, I was aware that the US thresholds tend to be lower too but again I wondered if climate might play a part in that. We know that those of us on insulin often need less insulin/become more sensitive to insulin in warmer temperatures, so just wondered if that might correlate to lower average HbA1c results in the general population of warmer climates.
 
Ummm USA is a large country. Some parts are warmer than the UK but large parts of it get quite a lot colder.
And that's assuming warm weather reduces insulin resistance which seems unlikely when you look at the high incidents of type 2 in the Indian subcontinent.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. It seems from the responses that there is no clear medically defined 'healthy' or 'normal' lower HbAlc range in the UK, but 20 is cited in the US and Australia. From what you've said mid 30s is the best/most likely for someone striving for remission, but low 30s is not unknown and HbA1cs in the 20s is routine for healthy non-diabetics.
Curiosity satisfied!
 
Cheltonian31 said:
Thanks everyone for your replies. It seems from the responses that there is no clear medically defined 'healthy' or 'normal' lower HbAlc range in the UK, but 20 is cited in the US and Australia. From what you've said mid 30s is the best/most likely for someone striving for remission, but low 30s is not unknown and HbA1cs in the 20s is routine for healthy non-diabetics.
Curiosity satisfied!
Click to expand...
Mid 30's is just fine for anybody. It's around median for non-diabetics.
 
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