What is mmol/L?

mmol/L on your report

MedlinePlus gives a normal fasting blood sugar of 70 to 99 mg/dL, which is 3.9 to 5.5 mmol/L.

A fasting level of:

• 5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L suggests prediabetes
• 7 mmol/L or above usually indicates diabetes

Normal ranges can vary slightly between labs.

Where you'll see mmol/L

Mixing up mmol/L and mg/dL can make a normal reading look alarming, or a high one look fine.

You'll meet mmol/L:

• on some lab reports
• on glucometers bought abroad
• in international diet advice

A fasting blood sugar of 7 mmol/L sounds small, but it's the same as 126 mg/dL, the usual diabetes threshold. For blood sugar, multiplying mmol/L by about 18 gives you mg/dL.