Cardio IQ Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Biomarker Testing
It estimates your 2–3 month average blood sugar to guide cardiometabolic risk decisions, with easy ordering and Quest-based lab reporting via Vitals Vault.
With Vitals Vault, you have access to a comprehensive range of biomarker tests.
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is one of the most useful “big picture” glucose tests because it reflects how much sugar your red blood cells have been exposed to over the last few months.
If you are trying to line up your blood sugar plan with your cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, and heart-risk goals, A1c gives you a steady signal that is less affected by what you ate yesterday.
The Cardio IQ version is typically reported in a cardiometabolic context, which can make it easier to interpret alongside lipid and inflammation markers when you are tracking overall cardiovascular risk.
Do I need a Cardio IQ Hemoglobin A1c test?
You may want an A1c test if you are checking for prediabetes or diabetes, or if you already have diabetes and you want to know whether your day-to-day choices and medications are improving your average glucose over time.
It is also worth considering if you are working on heart-risk reduction and you want a stable glucose marker to interpret alongside lipids. Even when your fasting glucose looks “okay,” A1c can reveal a higher average glucose pattern that matters for long-term vascular health.
Common reasons to test include a family history of type 2 diabetes, a history of gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), excess abdominal weight, fatty liver, high triglycerides, low HDL, or high blood pressure. Symptoms like increased thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision, or unexplained fatigue can also be a reason to check.
Your result is one piece of the picture. It can support clinician-directed care and monitoring, but it does not replace a full medical evaluation—especially if you have anemia, kidney disease, or other conditions that can skew A1c.
This is a laboratory blood test typically run in a CLIA-certified lab; results should be interpreted with your medical history and are not a standalone diagnosis.
Lab testing
Order labs to measure Cardio IQ Hemoglobin A1c
from $21.99 at Quest Diagnostics
About 1 week
Schedule online — results typically within a week
Clear next steps
Guidance included, with follow-up care available
HSA / FSA
Eligible for pre-tax health spending accounts
Get this test with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order Hemoglobin A1c testing without a referral and complete your blood draw through a national lab network. If you are already tracking cholesterol or advanced cardiac markers, A1c is a practical add-on because it helps connect glucose control with cardiometabolic risk.
After your results post, you can use PocketMD to ask questions in plain language, compare A1c to other labs you have run, and decide what to do next—whether that is lifestyle changes, discussing medication options with your clinician, or planning a sensible retest cadence.
If you are trying to unify “diabetes goals” and “heart goals,” PocketMD can help you translate your A1c into next-step questions such as whether you should also check fasting insulin, ApoB, triglycerides, hs-CRP, or kidney markers that influence cardiovascular risk planning.
- Order online and complete your draw through a national lab network
- PocketMD helps you interpret A1c in a cardiometabolic context
- Easy to trend results over time for follow-up testing
Key benefits of Cardio IQ Hemoglobin A1c testing
- Estimates your average blood sugar over ~2–3 months, not just a single moment in time.
- Helps identify prediabetes patterns that may be missed by fasting glucose alone.
- Supports diabetes monitoring by showing whether your overall control is improving or drifting.
- Adds cardiometabolic context when you are interpreting lipids, triglycerides, and other heart-risk markers.
- Reduces “day-to-day noise” from stress, sleep, and recent meals compared with spot glucose checks.
- Guides practical next steps, such as whether to add fasting insulin, oral glucose tolerance testing, or kidney screening.
- Makes it easier to set a retest plan and track progress in PocketMD alongside your other labs.
What is Cardio IQ Hemoglobin A1c?
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a measure of how much glucose has attached to hemoglobin inside your red blood cells. Because red blood cells circulate for about 120 days, your A1c reflects a weighted average of your blood sugar over the prior 2–3 months (with more influence from the most recent few weeks).
A1c is reported as a percentage. A higher percentage means a larger share of your hemoglobin has been “glycated,” which usually indicates higher average glucose exposure.
Cardio IQ is a reporting framework often used for cardiometabolic testing. The A1c value itself is the same biomarker, but it is commonly ordered and reviewed alongside lipid and cardiovascular risk markers so you can connect glucose control with longer-term vascular risk.
How A1c differs from fasting glucose
Fasting glucose is a snapshot of your blood sugar at one point in time, and it can swing with sleep, stress, illness, and what you ate the day before. A1c is steadier because it averages exposure over weeks to months. When fasting glucose and A1c disagree, it can be a clue to look at post-meal spikes, sleep apnea, medication effects, or conditions that change red blood cell turnover.
Why A1c matters for heart and vascular health
Higher long-term glucose exposure is linked with damage to blood vessels and higher risk of cardiovascular disease over time. If you are already working on LDL, ApoB, triglycerides, or blood pressure, A1c helps you see whether glucose is another lever to address. It is especially useful when you are trying to prioritize changes that improve both metabolic and cardiovascular risk.
What do my Cardio IQ Hemoglobin A1c results mean?
Low A1c levels
A “low” A1c is uncommon and is not automatically better. It can reflect genuinely low average glucose, but it can also happen when red blood cells do not live as long as usual, which lowers the time available for glucose to attach to hemoglobin. If your A1c seems unexpectedly low compared with your finger-stick or continuous glucose monitor (CGM) readings, ask your clinician about anemia patterns, recent blood loss, hemolysis, or other causes of shortened red cell lifespan.
In-range (optimal) A1c levels
An in-range A1c generally suggests your average glucose exposure over the last few months is within the expected range for your situation. For many people, this aligns with lower risk of microvascular complications, and it can support a heart-risk plan when paired with lipid markers. The most useful interpretation is trend-based: if your A1c is stable or improving alongside weight, triglycerides, and blood pressure, your overall cardiometabolic direction is usually favorable.
High A1c levels
A higher A1c usually means higher average blood sugar over the last 2–3 months. Depending on the level and your history, it can be consistent with prediabetes or diabetes, or it can suggest that current diabetes management is not meeting your goals. Because cardiovascular risk often clusters with insulin resistance, a high A1c is a reason to look at the broader picture—such as triglycerides, HDL, blood pressure, waist circumference, fatty liver markers, and kidney health—rather than focusing on one number.
Factors that influence A1c (and can skew it)
A1c assumes a typical red blood cell lifespan, so conditions that change red cell turnover can make A1c read lower or higher than your true average glucose. Iron deficiency anemia can raise A1c, while hemolytic anemia, recent blood loss, or transfusion can lower it. Chronic kidney disease, certain hemoglobin variants, pregnancy, and some medications can also affect interpretation. If your A1c does not match symptoms or other glucose data, consider confirming with fasting glucose, fructosamine, or CGM metrics with clinician guidance.
What’s included
- Hemoglobin A1c
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fast for a Hemoglobin A1c test?
No. A1c does not require fasting because it reflects average glucose over weeks to months. If your order includes other tests (like a lipid panel or fasting glucose/insulin), fasting may still be recommended for those.
What is a normal A1c range, and what counts as prediabetes or diabetes?
Many labs commonly flag A1c around 5.7–6.4% as consistent with prediabetes and 6.5% or higher as consistent with diabetes when confirmed appropriately. Targets can differ based on age, pregnancy status, and medical history, so your best “goal range” should be individualized with your clinician.
How often should I recheck A1c?
If you are making changes or adjusting medication, A1c is often rechecked about every 3 months because that matches red blood cell turnover. If your levels are stable and you are monitoring risk, some people recheck every 6–12 months. Your cadence should reflect how quickly your plan is changing and whether you are trying to confirm improvement.
Why is my A1c high if my fasting glucose is normal?
This can happen when you have higher post-meal glucose spikes even though your fasting level looks fine. It can also reflect sleep issues, stress hormones, or early insulin resistance. Less commonly, iron deficiency anemia can push A1c upward, so it is worth checking whether blood counts and iron status fit the story.
Can anemia or iron deficiency affect A1c results?
Yes. Iron deficiency anemia can raise A1c independent of true glucose, while conditions that shorten red blood cell lifespan (like hemolysis or recent blood loss) can lower it. If you have known anemia, kidney disease, or a recent transfusion, ask your clinician whether an alternate marker such as fructosamine is more reliable for you.
Is A1c enough to assess cardiometabolic risk?
A1c is a strong glucose marker, but cardiometabolic risk is multi-factorial. For a more complete view, it is often interpreted alongside lipids (including ApoB when available), triglycerides, blood pressure, weight/waist measures, kidney markers, and inflammation markers. Pairing these helps you decide which changes are most likely to reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.