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Real members of DiabetesTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.

What does it mean when my fasting am glucose reading using a lab is high at 167, but my A1c is normal at 5.7?

A DiabetesTeam Member asked a question 💭
San Antonio, TX
June 23, 2025
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A DiabetesTeam Member

A1C is your average blood sugar (averaged) 24 hours a day over the past 90 days (approximately - it has to do with how long our blood cells live)

So A1C (covers) your Fasting Numbers, your after meal numbers and every number in between

It is possible to have High fasting numbers as long as your other daily numbers are normal which will "average out" your high morning numbers

And this illustrates the "flaw" with A1C

At 5.7 it says "everything is fine" but your elevated Fasting Numbers are actually damaging your heart and vascular system and should be medicated lower

Which is why A1C alone should never be used as the sole clinical test to determine whether you are adequately controlled or not if your goal is preventing complications

There is many reason why a "single" fasting reading may be high, but if it's chronically higher than 126 it should be medicated

June 23, 2025
DiabetesTeam

This is an interesting situation that deserves attention. While your fasting glucose reading of 167 is elevated, an A1c of 5.7% represents your average blood sugar over the past 2-3 months and is actually at the upper end of the normal range. A single high glucose reading doesn't tell the whole story of your blood sugar Show Full Answer

This is an interesting situation that deserves attention. While your fasting glucose reading of 167 is elevated, an A1c of 5.7% represents your average blood sugar over the past 2-3 months and is actually at the upper end of the normal range. A single high glucose reading doesn't tell the whole story of your blood sugar control.

A1c below 5.7% is considered healthy, while 5.7-6.4% indicates prediabetes, and 6.5% or higher suggests diabetes. Your A1c is right at that borderline. Several factors could explain this discrepancy:

1. The fasting reading might be unusually high due to:
- Recent eating or drinking
- Stress
- Certain medications
- Testing technique issues

It's important to discuss these results with your healthcare provider, who may want to do additional testing or monitoring to better understand your blood sugar patterns.

June 23, 2025

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