7 Proven Tips to Lower Your Hemoglobin A1C Levels

If you have prediabetes, diabetes, or are at risk for either, a healthcare professional may have mentioned your hemoglobin A1C (also called HbA1C or A1C) levels. You may have even learned that your A1C is too high. Fortunately, there are ways to bring your A1C level down to your target range. 

Let’s review more information on what A1C means and go over some reliable tips to lower your A1C levels. 

What is hemoglobin A1C?

Your bloodstream is full of red blood cells. These cells have a protein called hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout your body. Glucose (sugar) also travels through your blood and can bind with hemoglobin. When the two come together, they create what’s called hemoglobin A1C. This is also known as glycosylated hemoglobin.

You may be wondering why a healthcare professional orders A1C testing every few months. It’s because the life of a red blood cell is about 3 months. The amount of glucose that sticks to the cells during that time gives your average A1C value. 

How are hemoglobin A1C levels measured?

An A1C test measures the amount of glycosylated hemoglobin in your blood. Your A1C is written as a percentage and gives you an idea of how well managed your blood sugar levels have been over the last 2 to 3 months.

It’s also one of the numbers healthcare professionals use to diagnose prediabetes or diabetes.

How to lower hemoglobin A1C levels

It’s important to understand that lowering your A1C levels is a gradual and slow process. Unlike a regular blood glucose test, your A1C measures your average blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months. Because of this, it can take up to 3 months to see significant changes in your A1C. 

Here are seven different ways you can work on lowering your A1C over time.

1. Diet

Diet is an important factor when it comes to your blood sugar. You probably know that carbohydrates (sugars) can raise your blood sugar. But your body still needs a certain amount of carbs to function properly. 

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A tip is to eat more protein, non-starchy vegetables, and low-sugar fruits to balance your carb intake. 

You can prioritize eating:

• Nuts 

• Legumes (like beans and lentils)

• Poultry and eggs

• Vegetables (like leafy greens, bell peppers, and squash)

• Berries

• Cheese

Do your best to avoid certain carbs and ultra-processed foods, including:

• Candy

• Cakes

• White bread

• White rice

• Pasta

As you check your glucose levels after meals, you should start to see patterns in how specific foods affect your levels the most. 

2. Exercise

Your body normally produces a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps move glucose (sugar) from your blood into your cells, where it’s used for energy. 

With diabetes, your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, or your body doesn’t respond to it the normal way. This is also known as insulin resistance. It’s one of the causes of high blood glucose and high A1C levels. 

Exercise can help to lower A1C levels by jump-starting your body’s natural insulin activity. 

As a general rule, if you have diabetes, physical activity is important. Recommendations include getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. This can be broken down into 20 to 25 minutes of activity every day. 

Some examples of moderate exercise include:

• Brisk walking

• Cycling

• Swimming

• Housework

• Dancing

3. Weight loss

Losing weight may not be one of your personal health goals. But there’s a link between diabetes and weight. People with excess body fat are more likely to develop diabetes. Other factors like your age, genetics, and ethnicity also play a role.

There’s evidence that if you have a higher risk for diabetes and you have excess weight, then weight loss can help. Losing between 5% and 7% of your body weight can be enough to lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes. 

If you already have Type 2 diabetes, losing weight can help you use less medication. Prioritizing a diabetes-friendly diet and getting regular exercise can also help you feel better and improve your A1C. 

Typically, these lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough to lose weight and keep it off. Luckily, there’s a growing list of diabetes medications that help with weight loss. From the decades-old metformin to newer injectable medications like semaglutide (Ozempic), you’ll find something that works for you. 

4. Medications for high A1C

For people with Type 1 diabetes, and for some people with Type 2 diabetes, medications may be needed to help lower A1C levels. You have to take these medications consistently for them to work. 

Examples of medications used to lower A1C include:

• Insulin, including insulin aspart (Novolog), insulin glargine (Lantus), insulin degludec (Tresiba) 

• Oral medications like metformin, glipizide, sitagliptin (Januvia), and dapagliflozin (Farxiga) 

• Injectable non-insulin medications like semaglutide (Ozempic), tirzepatide (Mounjaro), and pramlintide (Symlin)

Even if you feel fine, you’re at risk for serious complications if your A1C levels are high. That’s why it’s important to take your medications exactly as prescribed. If side effects or cost concerns keep you from taking your medications, let your prescriber know.

5. Follow up with your medical team

Communication with your primary care provider or diabetes care team is important in monitoring your A1C levels and your diabetes treatment. Your medical team may schedule an appointment with you every 2 to 3 months. That’s because it usually takes that long to see changes in your A1C. 

Going to these follow-up visits can help you find out if your A1C levels are headed in the right direction. 

Being patient and consistent is the key in managing diabetes and lowering your A1C levels.

6. Manage stress and mental health

Stress can directly affect your blood sugar levels. When your body is under stress, it gets ready to either fight or run from the source of stress. Your body needs energy in the form of glucose to do this. So, your body releases a hormone called cortisol, which raises the amount of sugar in your blood. In turn, this can make your A1C levels go up, too. 

Since everyday life can be stressful, finding ways to manage and lower stress is key to maintaining healthy A1C levels. 

You might enjoy calming activities like:

• Walking

• Reading

• Singing

• Knitting

• Writing

Try a few different soothing activities to see what works best for you.

7. Find a community for diabetes self-management

If you have prediabetes or diabetes, you’re not alone. Connecting with others who are going through similar situations can help you feel less stressed and more supported and accountable. Plus, you’ll likely learn tips and strategies that can help you better manage your diabetes. 

Ask your diabetes care team about support groups or meetups for people with diabetes.

How is the A1C test different from a blood glucose test?

To measure your A1C level or blood glucose, you’ll have a finger-prick test or blood drawn from a vein. 

An A1C test is different from a regular blood glucose test. Here’s how they compare:

• A blood glucose test tells you what your glucose is right now.

• An A1C test gives an average blood glucose level over a long period of time.

Both of these tests provide important information about your body’s ability to regulate blood glucose.

What does it mean to have high or low A1C?

Having a high A1C value means that you have too much sugar in your blood and may have prediabetes or diabetes. 

Let’s take a look at the A1C target numbers: 

• A normal A1C is below 5.7%.

• If your A1C is between 5.7% and 6.4%, this suggests that you have prediabetes.

• If your A1C is 6.5% or higher, this suggests that you have diabetes.

If you have diabetes, your treatment goals will target a certain A1C level. If your A1C is higher than what’s safe for you even with treatment, that’s a sign you and your care team need to make some changes. 

This is important because high glucose levels in your body can raise your risk of: 

• Nerve pain

• Heart disease

• Kidney disease

• Eye disease

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) sets guidelines for healthy A1C targets in people with diabetes. Based on your medical history and other current medical conditions, your care team may prefer that you aim for a less strict or more strict A1C.

For an average, nonpregnant adult diagnosed with diabetes, the ADA recommends a target A1C of less than 7%. Older adults with several medical problems or cognitive/functional issues may have higher A1C goals in the range of 8% to 8.5%. 

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Written by:

Jewels Doskicz, RN, BA

Jewels Doskicz, RN, BA, is an Arizona-based registered nurse with 22 years of hospital-wide clinical nursing experience and 11 years of medical writing and editing experience. She was a former healthcare content creator for a digital health tool at HealthLoop and director of clinical content operations at GetWellNetwork.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

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