What is the benefit of monitoring my HbA1c multiple times?

Monitoring your HbA1c multiple times helps you understand how your blood sugar is changing over time. Because HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar over the past 2–3 months, repeat testing shows whether your levels are improving, staying stable, or increasing—and how lifestyle changes or treatments may be working.

This matters because even modest improvements can have meaningful health benefits. Research that guides U.S. diabetes care shows that lowering HbA1c is strongly linked to a reduced risk of microvascular complications, such as damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. In fact, studies have found that each 1% reduction in HbA1c is associated with a substantial reduction—on the order of 30%-40%—in the risk of these complications.