‘My glucose is 81 mg/dL, but my A1C is prediabetic at 5.7%. Which one is right?’

When blood sugar levels fluctuate naturally throughout the day due to various factors such as meals, activity levels, stress, sleep, and more, it's common for individuals to have differing measurements like a glucose reading of 81 mg/dL and an HbA1c of 5.7 per cent. Dr Vijay Negalur, Head of Diabetology at KIMS Hospitals in Thane, explained that these two readings serve different purposes.

A glucose level of 81 mg/dL indicates the blood sugar level at a specific moment, while the HbA1c provides an average of your blood sugar over the past two to three months. Consequently, a normal glucose reading doesn't automatically negate a borderline HbA1c result, as Dr Negalur pointed out.