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    Medical Unit Converter

    🇦🇺 Australia version

    Australian pathology reports give glucose and cholesterol in mmol/L, and HbA1c appears as a percentage and as mmol/mol, sometimes both. This converter starts in mmol/L with the HbA1c tab in per cent and puts the mg/dL figure beside every result. Use it to read a report, and ask your GP what it means.

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    Medical Unit Converter

    Convert 32 lab values between conventional (mg/dL) and SI (mmol/L) units, with typical adult reference intervals for context

    Reference ranges are not universal

    The intervals here are typical adult values. Real ranges vary by laboratory, assay, age, sex, pregnancy and ethnicity — the range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result. A value outside a range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a value inside one does not rule anything out.

    Enter your results

    Labs here report glucose and cholesterol in mmol/L and HbA1c in % and mmol/mol, so that unit comes first. The AIHW gives HbA1c targets in both units, for example 7% (53 mmol/mol). Australian reports also use mmol/mol alone. Sources: AIHW: Diabetes, pathology.

    Glucose

    Metabolic

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    70–99

    Fasting range. Post-meal targets differ.

    Lactate

    Metabolic

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    4.5–19.8

    Beta-hydroxybutyrate

    Metabolic

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    0–6

    Below about 0.6 mmol/L (6 mg/dL) is normal without fasting or a ketogenic diet.

    Total cholesterol

    Lipids

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    0–200

    LDL cholesterol

    Lipids

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    0–100

    Targets depend heavily on cardiovascular risk.

    HDL cholesterol

    Lipids

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    ≥ 40

    Higher is generally better, so the low end is the concern.

    Triglycerides

    Lipids

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    0–150

    Creatinine

    Kidney

    µmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    0.6–1.3

    Urea nitrogen (BUN)

    Kidney

    mmol/L (urea) ↔ mg/dL
    7–20

    Uric acid

    Kidney

    µmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    3.4–7

    Total bilirubin

    Liver

    µmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    0.2–1.2

    Albumin

    Liver

    g/L ↔ g/dL
    3.5–5

    Total protein

    Liver

    g/L ↔ g/dL
    6–8.3

    Ammonia

    Liver

    µmol/L ↔ µg/dL
    15–45

    Calcium

    Electrolytes

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    8.5–10.2

    Magnesium

    Electrolytes

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    1.7–2.2

    Phosphate

    Electrolytes

    mmol/L ↔ mg/dL
    2.5–4.5

    Sodium

    Electrolytes

    mmol/L ↔ mEq/L
    135–145

    mEq/L and mmol/L are identical for monovalent ions.

    Potassium

    Electrolytes

    mmol/L ↔ mEq/L
    3.5–5

    Chloride

    Electrolytes

    mmol/L ↔ mEq/L
    98–107

    Haemoglobin

    Haematology

    g/L ↔ g/dL
    12–17

    Reference ranges differ by sex.

    Serum iron

    Haematology

    µmol/L ↔ µg/dL
    60–170

    Ferritin

    Haematology

    µg/L ↔ ng/mL
    30–300

    ng/mL and µg/L are numerically identical.

    Vitamin B12

    Haematology

    pmol/L ↔ pg/mL
    200–900

    Folate

    Haematology

    nmol/L ↔ ng/mL
    3–20

    Vitamin D (25-OH)

    Hormones & vitamins

    nmol/L ↔ ng/mL
    30–100

    Cortisol

    Hormones & vitamins

    nmol/L ↔ µg/dL
    5–23

    Morning value; cortisol follows a strong daily rhythm.

    Testosterone

    Hormones & vitamins

    nmol/L ↔ ng/dL
    300–1000

    Adult male range.

    TSH

    Hormones & vitamins

    mIU/L ↔ µIU/mL
    0.4–4

    µIU/mL and mIU/L are identical.

    Free T4

    Hormones & vitamins

    pmol/L ↔ ng/dL
    0.8–1.8

    PSA

    Hormones & vitamins

    µg/L ↔ ng/mL
    0–4

    C-reactive protein

    Hormones & vitamins

    mg/L ↔ mg/dL
    0–0.5

    Why two sets of units exist

    Mass versus moles

    Conventional units express concentration as mass per volume (mg/dL). SI units express it as moles per volume (mmol/L), which is chemically more meaningful because reactions happen between numbers of molecules, not grams.

    The conversion factor is therefore specific to each substance — it is 10 divided by the molecular weight. This is why glucose and cholesterol, both reported in mg/dL, use completely different factors.

    Where conversion does not apply

    Some pairs are identical rather than converted: mEq/L equals mmol/L for monovalent ions like sodium and potassium, and ng/mL equals µg/L by definition. Others, like HbA1c, are related by fitted equations rather than chemistry.

    Enzyme activities (ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase) are reported in units per litre and are not converted at all, which is why they are not listed here.

    Not a diagnosis
    A unit converter with reference context, not a clinical decision tool. Interpreting lab results requires the full picture — your history, your symptoms, and the range your own laboratory reports. Discuss results with the clinician who ordered them.

    Australia rules and figures

    • The AIHW gives HbA1c targets in both units, for example 7% (53 mmol/mol), and says Australian reports also use mmol/mol alone.
    • Because reports use both, the Australian page starts the HbA1c tab in per cent and always shows mmol/mol as the second figure.
    • Glucose and cholesterol are reported in mmol/L in Australia, so entry on the Lab values tab starts in SI units.
    • Body metrics and vitals start in kilograms, centimetres and °C on the Australian page.

    Sources: AIHW: Diabetes, pathology (checked 2026-11-08)

    How the medical unit converter works

    Every test has a single factor between mmol/L style units and mg/dL style units, and the Australian page starts with SI entry. HbA1c is converted with two published equations, one for each direction.

    mg/dL = mmol/L ÷ factor, so glucose 5.0 mmol/L ÷ 0.05551 = 90.1 mg/dL; HbA1c 7.0% → (7.0 − 2.15) × 10.929 = 53 mmol/mol

    • Entry starts in SI units, so you type mmol/L and read mg/dL. The HbA1c tab starts with the percentage, and a small list switches it to mmol/mol.
    • AIHW gives HbA1c targets in both units, so the page does not force one: both are shown on every HbA1c result.
    • Creatinine uses 88.4 between mg/dL and µmol/L, uric acid 59.48 and urea nitrogen 0.357.
    • Range badges use one adult interval kept in mg/dL, so a pathology report's own interval is the better reference.
    • Weight and height start in kilograms and centimetres, and temperature in °C.

    How to use the medical unit converter

    1. Search for the test. Type part of a name, unit or panel into the box, or pick a panel such as Lipids or Kidney.
    2. Confirm the unit you are typing. The button shows SI (mmol/L) at the start. Press it to enter mg/dL results instead.
    3. Enter your value. Type the figure from the report and the second unit and badge appear on the same row.
    4. Convert HbA1c. Open the HbA1c tab to type a percentage and see mmol/mol and average glucose, or switch the unit to type mmol/mol.
    5. Try body metrics and vitals. Height (cm), weight (kg) and temperature (°C) are the starting units on those tabs.
    6. Copy or export. Copy and Export CSV take only the rows with a value. Reset empties the page.

    Example: Glucose, creatinine and HbA1c in Australian units

    A glucose of 5.0 mmol/L shows as 90.1 mg/dL with an In range badge, and a creatinine of 80 µmol/L shows as 0.905 mg/dL. On the HbA1c tab, 7.0% converts to 53 mmol/mol, the pairing AIHW gives for a 7% target, and an average glucose estimate of 154 mg/dL (8.6 mmol/L). The badge text on that tab is a banding, not a diagnosis.

    When to use the medical unit converter

    • Reading an overseas report. Enter mg/dL values from a US or Indian report and see mmol/L.
    • Matching percentage and mmol/mol. See the two HbA1c units side by side when a letter gives only one.
    • Looking at kidney figures. Convert creatinine between µmol/L and mg/dL.
    • Taking notes to the GP. Copy the converted rows into your phone before an appointment.

    What the medical unit converter does not do

    • Ranges on this page are single adult intervals, not the ones printed by your pathology provider. Trust your own report.
    • Converting a value does not tell you what to do about it. Ask your GP before changing anything about your care.
    • The per cent to mmol/mol step follows the IFCC equation and is an approximation, so a lab's own printed pair may differ slightly.
    • Entered values are not stored, and Reset clears the page.

    When something else is a better fit

    • When you want your own interpretation of a result, use your clinician, who reads results against the lab's printed range and your history.
    • When you want a general unit converter for length, weight or volume, use the Unit Converter.
    • When you want body metrics with more measurements, use the BMI Calculator.

    Questions about the medical unit converter

    Which HbA1c unit does my report use?

    It may show a percentage, mmol/mol or both. The AIHW gives targets in both, for example 7% (53 mmol/mol), so the tab converts either way.

    How do I turn glucose in mmol/L into mg/dL?

    Divide by 0.05551. A glucose of 5.0 mmol/L becomes 90.1 mg/dL.

    What is 80 µmol/L of creatinine in mg/dL?

    Divide by 88.4, giving 0.905 mg/dL. The tool shows it to three decimal places because the value is below 1.

    Does an In range badge mean my result is fine?

    Not necessarily. The badge compares one number with a fixed interval and ignores your age, health and the lab's own range. Your GP reads the result.

    Will this change how I take my medicines?

    No. It only converts units. Treatment changes should come from your GP or specialist.