A1C to Average Glucose Calculator

Convert haemoglobin A1C to estimated average glucose (eAG) in both mg/dL and mmol/L, and convert in the reverse direction, using the ADAG study regression.

🍬 Lab Value📐 eAG (mg/dL) = 28.7 × A1C − 46.7🏥 Health
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Value (A1C % or glucose mg/dL)
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Formula & Reference

VariableSymbolFormulaUnits
A1C to Average Glucose CalculatoreAG (mg/dL) = 28.7 × A1C − 46.7mg/dL

Step-by-Step Examples

Example 1
Target A1C

A1C of 7.0%.

  • eAG = 28.7 × 7.0 − 46.7
  • eAG = 200.9 − 46.7 = 154 mg/dL
  • In mmol/L: 154 / 18 = 8.6
✓ eAG 154 mg/dL (8.6 mmol/L)
Example 2
Prediabetes Range

A1C of 6.0%.

  • eAG = 28.7 × 6.0 − 46.7
  • eAG = 172.2 − 46.7 = 126 mg/dL
  • Falls in the prediabetes band
✓ eAG 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L)
Example 3
Reverse Conversion

Meter average of 183 mg/dL over three months.

  • A1C = (183 + 46.7) / 28.7
  • A1C = 229.7 / 28.7 = 8.0%
  • Above the commonly cited 7% target
✓ Estimated A1C 8.0%

Real-World Applications

Common Mistakes to Avoid

⚠️
Assuming eAG matches the meter average exactly

The ADAG regression describes a population average. Individual red cell turnover rates cause meaningful scatter around the line, so a mismatch is not necessarily a measurement error.

⚠️
Trusting A1C in conditions that distort it

Anaemia, haemoglobinopathies, recent transfusion, pregnancy, and chronic kidney disease all alter red cell lifespan and can make A1C misleading. Fructosamine or continuous glucose monitoring may be used instead.

⚠️
Chasing a single target for everyone

A1C goals are individualised. Tighter targets suit some patients, while older adults or those with hypoglycaemia unawareness are often given deliberately looser ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is estimated average glucose?
A conversion of A1C into the average blood glucose concentration it corresponds to, derived from the ADAG study which paired A1C with continuous glucose monitoring data.
What A1C indicates diabetes?
6.5% or higher on two occasions is the usual diagnostic threshold, with 5.7–6.4% classified as prediabetes and below 5.7% as normal.
Why does my meter average differ from my eAG?
Meter readings sample specific moments, usually skewing toward fasting and pre-meal values, while A1C integrates glucose continuously including overnight and post-meal periods.
What period does A1C reflect?
Roughly the preceding two to three months, weighted toward the most recent weeks because newer red cells make up a growing share of the circulating pool.
What are IFCC units?
An alternative A1C reporting standard in mmol/mol used across much of Europe, related to the percentage scale by the formula IFCC = (A1C% − 2.15) × 10.929.

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