If you have type 2 diabetes, having higher blood sugar over time might mean your red blood cells don’t live as long.

People with type 2 diabetes may have red blood cells that don't live as long as those in healthy people—about 95 days compared to 100 days—suggesting their bodies replace blood cells faster.

If you have type 2 diabetes, higher blood sugar might make your red blood cells die faster, which could mess up the accuracy of your A1c test — a common way doctors check long-term blood sugar control.

In people with type 2 diabetes, red blood cells don’t live as long when there’s a bigger mismatch between their actual HbA1c levels and what those levels should be based on blood sugar — meaning the body’s sugar coating on blood cells doesn’t always match up with sugar levels.

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—less than 75 days—your A1c test might not give a true picture of your blood sugar control, because the test could show lower numbers than reality.