Understanding Your HbA1c Test Result: What Does a 71% Reading Mean?

Question
I had yearly labwork done recently and the HgA1C result was 71%. When I looked this up, how I got here, says that it has to do with diabetes, which I dont have. I thought it was for checking iron levels? And is 71% good or bad?

Answer
Hi Cindy.  Yes, the HBA1C test is a test for diabetes.  It's typically used in known diabetics to measure approximately what their blood suagr has been running for the past 3 months or so.  I'm not sure, though, what your result of 71% means.  It may be in different units that I'm familiar with because the normal range at the lab I work at is 4.0 - 7.0%.  Maybe you mean 7.1%?

Samantha