Hemoglobin A1C is a structure of the hemoglobin molecule that has irreversibly formed with sugar and is indicative of blood sugar levels. Hemoglobin A1C is a glycogenic structure in which a molecule of glucose combines with hemoglobin, a protein that forms a bond between carbon and metal atoms through a coordinate bond between amino acids. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) is finally formed when a molecule of glucose combines with a molecule of hemoglobin.
The A1C hemoglobin test is a blood test that examines the percentage of glycated hemoglobin in a patient’s blood.
What are the normal values of the A1C hemoglobin A1C test? What is the norm, and what is not considered normal?
Hemoglobin A1C: Normal Values
In blood tests, hemoglobin A1C normal values are considered to be less than 5.7%. That is, less than this value of a hemoglobin molecule that has combined with glucose is considered a normal value of hemoglobin A1C. A normal result lies between 4% and 5.7% (and some say up to 6%).
Hemoglobin A1C: Abnormal Values
What are abnormal values of glycated hemoglobin A1C? In blood tests, the abnormal values for hemoglobin A1C are those above 5.7%. A hemoglobin value between 5.7% and 6.4% is defined as being prediabetic. A glycated hemoglobin A1C value of more than 6.5% is abnormal and shows that there is underlying diabetes. According to the Mayo Clinic, a normal A1C value should be below 7%.
