HbA1c test: your average blood sugar over 3 months
Fasting glucose and HbA1c: screen for prediabetes.
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Included Markers
2 markersHbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin), Glucose (Fasting)
Your blood sugar tells part of the story about how your body handles energy. An HbA1c test can give you a calm, factual picture of it, without you having to worry about anything straight away.
This test combines a fasting glucose test with your HbA1c, so you get both a snapshot and a longer-term view of your blood sugar. That gives you a better handle on a topic that can otherwise feel abstract.
Why this test?
Your blood sugar shifts gradually with your lifestyle, your hormones and your age. Around menopause, with PCOS or after a pregnancy, for example, your body can start responding to sugar differently, often without you noticing anything at first.
Prediabetes rarely causes clear symptoms early on. That is exactly why an HbA1c test can be valuable: it makes visible what you cannot feel yourself, so you do not have to guess and can talk to your GP in good time if needed.
Who is this test for?
This test can be useful if you are curious about your blood sugar or about your risk of prediabetes. Think of people with symptoms such as ongoing thirst, frequent tiredness or unexplained weight loss, or those with diabetes in the family.
For women, blood sugar can also connect with hormonal themes. With PCOS or after a pregnancy with raised blood sugar, it can be reassuring to check your values from time to time. You decide when that feels meaningful for you.
What is tested?
This test looks at two values in your blood:
- Glucose (Fasting): your blood sugar at the moment of the draw, after a period of fasting.
- HbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin): your average blood sugar over roughly the past two to three months.
That way you can see whether a single reading fits your average over recent months.
What can this test tell you?
Your HbA1c and fasting glucose can together give an impression of how your body handles sugar. Values within the reference range usually fit with steady blood sugar.
Raised values can point to prediabetes or diabetes, but a blood test does not establish that on its own. It is a starting point you can explore further with your GP.
How is the sample collected?
This test requires a small blood draw at a certified lab. In the Netherlands you can choose from 700+ blood draw locations.
After ordering, you pick a location near you and schedule a moment that suits you. The draw itself usually takes only a few minutes, and you do not need a referral from your GP.
When is this test useful?
An HbA1c test can be valuable at different moments, for example:
- when you have symptoms you connect to your blood sugar
- when diabetes runs in your family and you are curious about your values
- when you want to keep an eye on your blood sugar with PCOS
- when you simply want to know where you stand
Some people choose to test now and then to stay informed. What suits you is up to you.
What do the results mean?
Your result shows your glucose and HbA1c values together with a reference range and a short explanation. What counts as usual can vary slightly by laboratory.
HbA1c reflects an average over a longer period, while glucose shows the situation at that moment. A value above the range can point to raised blood sugar, but on its own says nothing definitive. The doctor helps you place the numbers in the right context.
What happens after the results?
Your result is usually available online within a few working days. Each value is shown clearly with a reference range and an explanation, so you understand what you see.
Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.
Frequently Asked Questions
A glucose test captures the moment: your blood sugar at the time of the draw. HbA1c looks back: your average blood sugar over roughly two to three months. That is why the two complement each other well.
For the fasting glucose test you should not eat for roughly eight to twelve hours beforehand. HbA1c can be measured at any time of day.
A blood test can point to raised blood sugar, but does not make a diagnosis on its own. Your GP can help you decide whether further steps are needed.
No, you can order this test online without a referral from your GP and have blood drawn at 700+ locations across the Netherlands.
From order to report in 4 steps
A hormone test without referral: test when you want, not only when symptoms are severe. No waiting list, just order and go.
Choose your hormone test
Browse our hormone panels and pick what you want tested. Compare markers and prices, or build a custom test.
Receive your lab referral
Within 1 business day you'll receive an email from ZorgDomein with a barcode. Orders outside business hours are processed from the next business day.
Get tested at a lab near you
Show the barcode on your phone and bring a valid ID. Done in under 15 minutes.
Receive your report from the doctor
A BIG-registered physician reviews your hormone values and writes a personal report. On your dashboard within a few business days.
Choose your hormone test
Browse our hormone panels and pick what you want tested. Compare markers and prices, or build a custom test.
Receive your lab referral
Within 1 business day you'll receive an email from ZorgDomein with a barcode. Orders outside business hours are processed from the next business day.
Get tested at a lab near you
Show the barcode on your phone and bring a valid ID. Done in under 15 minutes.
Receive your report from the doctor
A BIG-registered physician reviews your hormone values and writes a personal report. On your dashboard within a few business days.
Always a location near you
With 700+ certified phlebotomy points across the Netherlands.
What We Test
This test includes 2 biomarkers to give you a comprehensive health picture.
| No. | Biomarker | Unit | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | HbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin) HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) reflects your average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months. It is the gold standard for long-term blood sugar monitoring and diabetes management. | mmol/mol | 2 days |
| 02 | Glucose (Fasting) Fasting glucose measures the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood after an overnight fast. It is one of the primary tests used to screen for and monitor diabetes and pre-diabetes. | mmol/l | 1 day |
| Your result arrives once the slowest test is finished: 2 days. This is indicative; turnaround varies per laboratory. | |||
Preparation
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Come fasting
RequiredFrom 22:00 the evening before, eat and drink nothing except water. That is at least 8 hours. Skip coffee, tea, chewing gum and smoking that morning. Plan the draw before 10:00.
- Water is always fine. Drink as usual beforehand, it makes the draw easier.
- Take your usual medication, unless your own doctor told you otherwise.
Extend this panel
Tests from the same field, run on the same sample. Same draw, no second appointment.
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