Blood Sugar Converter
Two Units, One International Divide
Blood glucose is reported in mg/dL in the United States and in mmol/L across most of Europe, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere — a split that has nothing to do with the underlying measurement and everything to do with regional lab reporting conventions. Anyone reading a meter, lab result, or medical study from outside their home unit system runs into this conversion sooner or later.
The Formula
mg/dL = mmol/L × 18.0182
The conversion factor comes from the molar mass of glucose (approximately 180.18 g/mol) combined with the unit scaling between deciliters and liters.
Reference Conversion Table
| mg/dL | mmol/L |
|---|---|
| 70 | 3.9 |
| 100 | 5.5 |
| 126 | 7.0 |
| 140 | 7.8 |
| 180 | 10.0 |
| 200 | 11.1 |
These are unit conversions only, not clinical thresholds — interpretation of any specific value should follow guidance from a healthcare provider or the lab that issued the result.
When This Conversion Comes Up
- Traveling or relocating internationally — a glucose meter purchased abroad may default to the other unit system entirely.
- Reading international research or guidelines — clinical studies published outside the US typically report glucose in mmol/L.
- Comparing devices or lab reports — converting between units is necessary when comparing readings from sources that use different defaults.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your blood sugar value.
- Select the unit you're converting from: mg/dL or mmol/L.
- Select Calculate to see the converted value.
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