Is an A1c of 7 good for someone with diabetes?
An A1c of 7% (53 mmol/mol) is the target most guidelines set for adults with diabetes, so 7.0 is at goal and 6.5 to 7.5 is close to it. Under 7 cuts the risk to eyes, kidneys and nerves.
The target is personal. Older adults, or anyone who gets low sugars, are often set a looser goal of 7.5 to 8. Younger people with a new diagnosis are sometimes aimed lower.
Each 1% reduction lowers the risk of complications by roughly a third, so 8 to 7 matters more than 7 to 6.5.
See a doctor promptly if
- Extreme thirst, frequent urination, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, rapid breathing or drowsiness. This can be a diabetic emergency, seek urgent care
- Unintentional weight loss with thirst and urination, especially in someone slim or young. This may be type 1 diabetes and needs same-day assessment
- A foot wound, ulcer or infection that is not healing, with known or suspected diabetes
- Sudden vision loss or new floaters in one or both eyes
- Confusion, sweating and shakiness that improve with sugar in someone using glucose-lowering medication
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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