What is a normal A1C by age? Doctors explain the range. Healthy A1C targets can change over time and may differ if you have underlying health conditions such as diabetes.

A1C tests measure average blood glucose over the past 2 to 3 months. So even if you have a high fasting blood sugar, your overall blood sugar may be normal, or vice versa.

I read your recent column on A1C levels. You said that 7% to 7.5% was ideal for most people. For older people, you said 8% can be good. My longstanding understanding of A1C levels is that less than 5.

Read on to learn more about the A1C test, what the results show, ... For an HbA1c test to be classified as normal, or in the non-diabetic range, the value must be below 5.7%.

A normal A1C level is below 5.7%, which corresponds to an estimated average blood sugar level lower than 117 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).