Around 850,000 people could be living with diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed
If you are worried that your lifestyle may be putting you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, then it’s recommended you take this test. It is also suitable for those with type 2 diabetes who want to monitor their condition.
Our HbA1c test is a finger-prick test that can help you test for diabetes at home. The test kit contains everything you need to collect your blood sample at home, including free return postage to send the sample to our labs for analysis. You’ll get a detailed report and comments from our medical team, helping you to understand the results and your health.
The ‘normal’ HbA1c level will vary depending on your age, but there are some guidelines on what a good level is depending on what stage of diabetes you’re in;
This is what our customers ask us most about this test. For more information, try our help centre.
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is the stage before type 2 diabetes is diagnosed. During pre-diabetes, your blood glucose levels are increased above normal but are not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Therefore, it is the critical period before diabetes is diagnosed and, if spotted, may be improved with simple changes to your lifestyle.
Prediabetes is often used to describe two conditions. Impaired fasting glucose (IFT), when your blood glucose levels are increased after a period of fasting, or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) where your blood sugar levels are increased beyond normal after eating.
It is not an uncommon condition either, up to 7 million people in the UK are believed to be prediabetic.
Read more in our article ‘Is Prediabetes Reversible?‘
What is the test for diabetes type 2?
An HbA1c blood test is the gold standard for diagnosing diabetes type 2. It gives an average measure of your blood glucose levels over the last 2-3 months.
Is the amount of people with diabetes growing?
In the UK, 4.7 million people have diabetes and this is expected to rise to 5.5 million within the next decade. 90% of people who have had a diagnosis have type 2 diabetes whereas type 1 accounts for around 8%.
Yet the actual figure could be higher because there is an estimated one million people living with type 2 diabetes in the UK who haven’t been diagnosed. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is a problem, not least because it costs the NHS a staggering £173 million per week.
The increase in obesity is largely to blame for the rise in type 2 diabetes cases. In fact, it is the biggest risk factor for the development of the condition. Yet, by taking control of your own health and understand what’s really going on inside you, you can take positive action to lower your risk by making changes to your lifestyle.
What is an HbA1c blood test for?
An HbA1c test is used to test for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes in adults. Unlike other tests, it gives you an average blood glucose reading over a period of up to three months rather than at the time of testing. It is often considered the gold standard in diabetes testing.
What is a healthy HbA1c level?
For people who do not have type 2 diabetes, a normal HbA1c level is between 20-42mmol/mol.
What can cause a high HbA1c level?
Several factors can contribute to an increase in HbA1c levels such as obesity or being overweight, lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, diabetes, stress and even some medications.
What can I do to reduce my HbA1c level?
There are several things you can do to help lower your HbA1c level such as eat a healthier diet consisting of low glycaemic index foods, exercise regularly, reduce stress and lose weight are just a few.
Use our at home HbA1c blood test to monitor and check your HbA1c levels.
We are dedicated to supporting you on improving your health
Dr Thom Phillips
Clinical Lead
BSc. (Hons) MSc. MB BCh. MRCGP. Dip SEM. PGCert (Diabetes)
Renee McGregor
Nutrition Lead
BSc (hons) PGDIP (DIET) PGCERT(sportsnutr) RD BASES
Dr Michael Cornes
Scientific Officer
Consultant clinical scientist, FRCPath, BSc Biochemistry, MSc Clinical Biochemistry, PhD Biochemistry
Getting the insights you need to improve your health has never been easier.
No need to wait for a GP appointment, choose from our wide range of tests which come with everything you need to take your sample and return to our lab.
Take your finger prick blood sample at home, or choose to have your blood taken at a Superdrug health clinic or a nurse at home. Return to our NHS lab using our prepaid envelope.
View your results on your secure health dashboard within 2 working days of our lab receiving your sample. Read personalised comments from our GPs.
With more in-depth results, you will be able to identify areas that need improving. Make the changes and track your progress.
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Additional markers can be added by personalising this test
Biomarkers are specific compounds we can detect in your blood sample that reflect different things about your health. Your test will tell you your levels for each of the above biomarkers, and whether they are in a normal range.
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When you purchase this test subscription plan, we will automatically send you another test kit in a few months. Don’t worry – you have full control over when this will be, and you can change/cancel it anytime.
When you first purchase this test, you can choose your subscription options in the checkout. We do this, because we recommend taking multiple tests over time to track how your health markers change. You’ll be charged per test kit (rather than monthly, for example).
One test will show you what areas you need to focus on, continued testing will help you learn how your training, diet and lifestyle is impacting your health.
We recommend a follow up test 3 months after your first test, followed by a test every 6 months depending on your results, but its up to you!
Yes, you can tailor/customise subsequent tests (via your app) to focus on just the areas that need improving.
You can choose your preferred collection method when you checkout
You can do this test at home without the need for a doctor. We’ll send you everything you need to collect your sample and post it back to us. And it’s all included in the cost. We’ve put together a video that covers the process, making it easy to check and track your health from home.
We’ll arrange for a medical professional to visit your home and collect your sample. This is great if you’re unsure on how it all works or have trouble collecting a sample. No need to book a doctor’s appointment or visit a clinic, we’ll send you everything you need to collect a sample and post it back to our labs.
Once you’ve ordered your test, look out for an email from our phlebotomy partners containing information and a link to book your appointment. We’ll send you everything the clinic will need to complete the sample and post it back to our labs.
If none of the above options work for you, you can arrange your own medical professional to collect your sample. There is no additional charge for this. Once you’ve ordered your test, we’ll send you everything you and your chosen medical professional will need to collect a sample and post it back to our labs.
Still unsure how it works? You can find more information on collection methods and the service we provide in our ‘How it Works’ section.
No need to wait for a GP appointment, choose from our wide range of tests which come with everything you need to take your sample and return to our lab.
Take your finger prick blood sample at home, or choose to have your blood taken at a Superdrug health clinic or a nurse at home. Return to our NHS lab using our prepaid envelope.
View your results on your secure health dashboard within 2 working days of our lab receiving your sample. Read personalised comments from our GPs.
With more in-depth results, you will be able to identify areas that need improving. Make the changes and track your progress.