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Blood Sugar Unit Converter

Convert a blood glucose reading between mg/dL, used in the United States, India and several other countries, and mmol/L, used in the UK, Canada, Australia and most of Europe. The factor comes from the molar mass of glucose (180.156 g/mol), so 1 mmol/L equals 18.0156 mg/dL. Laboratory units such as g/L and µmol/L are included too.

Unit Converters Runs in your browser

Convert a Blood Glucose Reading

This converts units only. It is not a diagnosis; ask a doctor or diabetes nurse what your own readings mean.

Decimals and scientific notation such as 2.5e3 are accepted.
Automatic shows exact results in full and rounds long ones to 12 significant digits.

Commonly published fasting plasma glucose thresholds (American Diabetes Association; for context only, not a diagnosis)
Category mg/dL mmol/L
Normal fasting below 100 below 5.6
Prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose) 100 to 125 5.6 to 6.9
Diabetes range (if confirmed by repeat test) 126 or higher 7.0 or higher
Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia alert level) below 70 below 3.9

How to Use the Blood Sugar Units

  1. Enter the number in Value to convert.
  2. Choose the glucose unit you have in From unit and the one you need in To unit; the lists are grouped by system.
  3. The result, the multiplier and the formula appear straight away under the form. Swap units reverses the direction. Glucose readings cannot be negative, so a minus sign is rejected.
  4. Check the table for the same value in every unit, set Precision if you want fewer digits, or press Copy result.

About This Tool

People with diabetes travelling or using a meter set to unfamiliar units, carers, students in nursing and medicine, and anyone reading research that reports glucose in the other unit.

Input: A number and a unit  ·  Output: The same glucose concentration in every unit.

Features and Limitations

Features

  • Uses the precise glucose factor 18.0156 rather than the rounded 18.
  • Includes laboratory units g/L, mg/L, µmol/L and the older mg% notation.
  • Shows the formula (mg/dL = mmol/L × 18.0156) and the value in every unit.
  • A reference table of the commonly published fasting thresholds in both units.

Limitations

  • The factor applies to glucose only. Do not use it for cholesterol, triglycerides or other blood tests, which have different molar masses.
  • HbA1c (a percentage or mmol/mol) is a different measurement and cannot be converted from a single glucose reading.
  • Some meters and labs round with 18 instead of 18.0156, so their numbers can differ by about 0.1 %.
  • Results are computed in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to a server.

Example

5.5 mmol/L = 99.09 mg/dL. 7 mmol/L = 126.11 mg/dL. 100 mg/dL = 5.55 mmol/L. 180 mg/dL = 9.99 mmol/L.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert mmol/L to mg/dL?

Multiply by 18.0156 (often rounded to 18). For example 6.2 mmol/L × 18.0156 ≈ 111.7 mg/dL. To go the other way, divide mg/dL by 18.0156.

Why is the factor 18?

One millimole of glucose weighs 180.156 mg. One liter is 10 deciliters, so 1 mmol/L = 180.156 mg per 10 dL = 18.0156 mg/dL.

Which unit does my country use?

mg/dL is standard in the United States, India, Japan, France and some other countries; mmol/L is standard in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, China and much of Europe. Meters can usually be switched in their settings.

Does this tell me whether my reading is normal?

No. The page lists widely published thresholds for context, but targets depend on timing, medication and personal circumstances. Please discuss your readings with a healthcare professional.

Related Tools

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