Is 5.4 A1C Good?

Healthful Vitality | 12/13/2022 | Is 5.4 A1C Good?

When people are living with diabetes or get tested for diabetes, they become anxious. For them, simple conclusions like “normal” values are not enough. Instead, they want to know exactly how good the numbers are.

So, is 5.4 A1C good?

In short, the answer is yes. It is not just good, but almost perfect.

Of course, if you have never been diagnosed with diabetes, then this test says everything is perfect, and there is no reason to worry. It also means that you do not have any risk of developing diabetes in the near future.

However, if you are living with diabetes, it means that you are really doing well. Such perfect results are only possible when a person is doing many things the right way and not just taking medication. It means that apart from medications, lifestyle interventions like dietary measures and exercise are working well, and one should continue the efforts.

A1C is quite a good test for monitoring the progress of efforts when living with diabetes, as it is the test that rarely provides wrong information. In addition, this test is unlike fasting or random blood glucose test.

Here is why 5.4 A1C is really good

Doctors have used two tests for decades to monitor how well their patients were doing. That is fasting blood glucose and random.

When it comes to fasting blood glucose levels, values below 126 mg/dL or above are acceptable. Fasting blood glucose level is a test given after about eight hours of fasting but not more than 12 hours of fasting. Thus, people often give this test in the early morning. For example, one had a last mean at 8 pm and may give the test at 6 am.

However, as one can see, there are many issues with fasting blood glucose levels. For example, some people have their last significant meal much earlier and might reach the lab much later. Thus, there might be fasting of 14 hours. This will result in lower values or inaccurate results.

But not only that, all people are aware of when they are going to give their fasting blood glucose test. Thus, those living with diabetes become alert a few days before the test and start following all the instructions, following the right kind of diet, and taking medications regularly. This results in perfect test results. And then, they would ask that doctor if their test results are so good and why they are feeling unwell, and doctors have no reply to this.

Why prefer the A1C test?

However, A1C is quite a different kind of test, and it shows the actual situation. It is the average blood glucose level for the last three months. It means that a few days of dietary restrictions or regular use of medications will have limited influence on the results. That is why doctors now prefer the A1C test to monitor their patients.

Conclusion

Indeed, as discussed above, the A1C test is also suitable for patients as they do not need to reach the lab early in the morning on an empty stomach. Therefore, 5.4 A1C, which is an excellent value, is only possible in two cases. First, the person is healthy and does not have diabetes. Or the person living with diabetes follows all the medical recommendations, including dietary measures and taking medications regularly.

Related Article: What Is a Good A1C for Type 1 Diabetes?