A1c levels 142 - 145
by Kathleen
(Lake Worth zzfl)
Question
Kathleen asks: “I went to bed last night and my A1C was 142. I woke up this morning and it was 145. I feel funny and my eyes have been blurred for a few days. Why is this happening? Sometimes it is normal, but then it makes a turn. Please help me understand.”
Quick Answer
The numbers 142 and 145 are almost certainly blood glucose readings in mg/dL, not A1C results. A1C is usually reported as a percentage, such as 6.5%, and reflects average glucose over approximately two to three months.
The three-point change from 142 at bedtime to 145 in the morning is too small to be clinically meaningful by itself. However, a fasting glucose of 145 mg/dL is above the common premeal target for many adults with diabetes. Blurred vision lasting several days should not be attributed to this one reading—contact your doctor and arrange a prompt dilated eye examination.
A1C and Blood Glucose Are Different Tests
A glucose meter shows your blood sugar at that moment and reports it in mg/dL or mmol/L. An A1C test is generally performed in a laboratory or clinic and is reported as a percentage. Learn more in the A1C and blood sugar guide.
Some laboratory reports show an estimated average glucose, or eAG, beside the A1C. An eAG of about 142 mg/dL roughly corresponds to an A1C near 6.6%, but a home meter reading of 142 is simply a single glucose result.
What Do Readings of 142–145 mg/dL Mean?
The meaning depends on timing:
- At bedtime: There is no universal bedtime target. A result of 142 mg/dL may be acceptable for some people with diabetes, depending on their personal plan.
- Fasting in the morning: For many nonpregnant adults with diabetes, a common before-meal target is 80–130 mg/dL. Therefore, 145 mg/dL is mildly above that general target.
- After a meal: A common target for many adults with diabetes is below 180 mg/dL about one to two hours after the meal begins.
These are general ranges, not personal instructions. Pregnancy, age, medications, kidney disease and risk of hypoglycemia can change the appropriate target. One home reading cannot diagnose diabetes. See the fasting, after-meal and A1C chart.
Why Can Morning Blood Sugar Be Higher?
A small overnight difference can occur because glucose changes naturally and home meter results also vary slightly. Other possible contributors include:
- Dawn phenomenon: Early-morning hormones signal the liver to release glucose as the body prepares to wake.
- Evening food: A late meal or carbohydrate-rich snack may keep glucose elevated overnight.
- Medication timing: Insulin or another diabetes medicine may not cover the entire night.
- Sleep, stress or illness: Poor sleep, pain, infection and stress hormones can increase glucose.
- An overnight low: This is less common and should not be assumed. A bedtime, overnight and morning pattern or continuous glucose monitor can help investigate it.
Read more about high morning blood sugar and the dawn phenomenon. Do not alter insulin or medication based on these two readings without discussing the pattern with your clinician.
Why Is the Vision Blurred?
High or rapidly changing glucose can temporarily alter fluid levels in the eye’s focusing tissues and blur vision. Longer-term diabetes can also damage retinal blood vessels and cause diabetic retinopathy or macular edema. However, cataract, glaucoma, retinal problems, medication effects and other eye conditions can cause similar symptoms.
A glucose of 142–145 mg/dL alone does not prove that diabetes caused the blurred vision. Because it has lasted several days and you also “feel funny,” contact your healthcare provider promptly and arrange a comprehensive dilated eye examination. Avoid driving while your vision is blurred.
Seek emergency care now for sudden or rapidly worsening vision loss, a curtain or shadow over the vision, many new floaters, flashes of light, severe eye pain, a severe headache, weakness or numbness on one side, difficulty speaking, confusion, fainting or chest pain.
What to Do Next
- Check glucose when symptoms occur. Wash and dry your hands, use the correct unexpired strip and repeat an unexpected result.
- Record the time, whether the reading was fasting or after food, meals, medicines, symptoms and vision changes.
- Contact your doctor promptly about the blurred vision and abnormal feeling. Ask whether A1C, fasting laboratory glucose, kidney function, blood pressure or other tests are needed.
- Book a dilated eye examination, particularly if you have diabetes or have not had an eye examination within the recommended interval.
- Do not change diabetes medicine by yourself. Review several days of readings with the treating clinician.
Related Questions
- Does fasting glucose of 147 mean diabetes?
- How accurate is capillary glucose monitoring?
- Why did changing breakfast improve my glucose?
Related Resources
- Blood sugar levels by time of day
- Diabetic eye problems and warning signs
- A1C to estimated average glucose calculator
Medical References
- ADA: Glycemic Goals and Hypoglycemia—Standards of Care in Diabetes 2026
- ADA: Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes—Standards of Care 2026
- NIDDK: Diabetic Eye Disease
- National Eye Institute: Retinal Detachment Warning Signs
- FDA: Getting the Most Out of a Blood Glucose Meter
Answered by: Dr. Albana Greca Sejdini, MD, MMedSc
Medically reviewed by: Dr. Ruden Cakoni, MD, Endocrinologist
Last reviewed: July 2026
Disclaimer: Educational only—not personal medical advice.
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