HbA1c Blood Test

Measures your average blood glucose levels over the past 2-3 months using glycated haemoglobin — a more reliable indicator of metabolic health than a single fasting glucose reading. HbA1c is the gold standard for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes, but it is equally valuable for detecting pre-diabetes at a stage when lifestyle changes can reverse the trajectory. Approximately 1.5 million Australians have diabetes, with many more undiagnosed.

The HbA1c test measures the percentage of haemoglobin in your red blood cells that has glucose permanently attached to it. Because red blood cells live for approximately 120 days, HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar exposure over that period — smoothing out the daily fluctuations that make single fasting glucose tests unreliable. For diabetes screening, an HbA1c of 6.5% or above indicates diabetes, while 5.7-6.4% indicates pre-diabetes — a critical window where metabolic dysfunction is present but fully reversible through diet, exercise, and sleep optimisation. Unlike fasting glucose, HbA1c does not require overnight fasting and is not affected by acute stress, illness, or a single meal. For longevity-focused individuals, HbA1c is arguably the most important single biomarker to track. Chronically elevated blood sugar accelerates glycation — the same process this test measures — throughout the body, damaging blood vessels, nerves, kidneys, and eyes. Maintaining HbA1c below 5.4% is associated with reduced cardiovascular risk and slower biological ageing. No preparation required — order online and visit any of ClearLabs' 2,000+ collection centres at your convenience.