If you have type 2 diabetes and your red blood cells don’t live as long—less than 75 days—your A1c test might not give a true picture of your blood sugar control, because the test could show lower...

Lots of people with type 2 diabetes have red blood cells that don’t live as long as usual, and because of that, their A1c blood sugar test might show lower numbers than reality — meaning the test could be misleading for many.

If you have type 2 diabetes and your red blood cells don’t live as long, your actual blood sugar might be higher than what your A1c test shows — meaning the A1c test could be misleading for some people.

If someone with type 2 diabetes has good HbA1c numbers but their red blood cells don’t live as long, their blood sugar might actually be higher than the test shows — meaning the test could be giving them a too-rosy picture of their sugar control.

Some people with diabetes might seem to have good blood sugar control based on standard tests, but if their red blood cells don’t live as long, the test could be misleading — and nearly 1 in 3 of these patients might actually have worse blood sugar levels than the test shows.

If someone with type 2 diabetes has red blood cells that don't live as long as usual, their A1c test might show better blood sugar control than they actually have — meaning doctors could miss signs of high blood sugar over time.