My A1c Is 5.9 — Is That Prediabetes?
What A1c measures
A1c shows your average blood sugar over the past two to three months. Below 5.7% is normal. 5.7% to 6.4% is prediabetes. 6.5% or higher on repeat testing is diabetes.
What 5.9 means for you
Prediabetes raises the chance of developing type 2 diabetes, and it also nudges up heart risk. The good news: in large studies, losing about 5% to 7% of body weight and walking about 150 minutes a week cut the chance of progressing to diabetes by more than half.
Most doctors recheck A1c in about a year, or sooner if you have other risk factors.
Common questions
Is an A1c of 5.9 bad?
It is in the prediabetes range. That is an early warning, not a diagnosis of diabetes, and lifestyle changes often bring it back to normal.
Can an A1c of 5.9 go back to normal?
Often, yes. Modest weight loss, regular activity, and fewer refined carbs commonly lower A1c by a few tenths of a percent.
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Where do your own numbers land?
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