{"id":3204,"date":"2026-11-03T20:21:29","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T19:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/?p=3204"},"modified":"2026-11-03T20:22:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T19:22:02","slug":"hba1c-vs-fasting-blood-sugar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mascothealthcare.com\/blog\/hba1c-vs-fasting-blood-sugar\/","title":{"rendered":"HbA1c vs Fasting Blood Sugar: Which Test Should I Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quick answer:<\/strong> A fasting blood sugar shows your blood glucose at one moment, after 8 hours without food. HbA1c shows your average blood sugar over the last 2 to 3 months and needs no fasting. Both can screen for diabetes. HbA1c is best for checking long-term control, but it isn’t reliable for everyone, including people with sickle cell disease or anaemia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cut-offs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/th>Normal<\/th>Prediabetes<\/th>Diabetes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Fasting blood sugar<\/td>Below 100 mg\/dL (5.6 mmol\/L)<\/td>100 to 125 mg\/dL<\/td>126 mg\/dL (7.0 mmol\/L) or more<\/td><\/tr>
HbA1c<\/td>Below 5.7%<\/td>5.7 to 6.4%<\/td>6.5% or more<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Diabetes is usually confirmed with a second test, unless you have clear symptoms such as thirst, passing a lot of urine and weight loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which should I choose?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n