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    Medical Unit Converter

    🇬🇧 United Kingdom version

    NHS laboratories report glucose and cholesterol in mmol/L and HbA1c in mmol/mol, so this converter starts there and shows the mg/dL and percentage equivalents beside each result. It is for reading a report, such as one from abroad or an older figure, and not for changing treatment. Your GP can explain what a result means for you.

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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 mmol/mol, so that unit comes first. HbA1c of 48 mmol/mol or over is 6.5%. The NHS says total cholesterol below 5 mmol/L is a guide for healthy adults. Sources: NHS: High blood sugar; NHS: Cholesterol levels.

    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.

    United Kingdom rules and figures

    • NHS information says an HbA1c of 48 mmol/mol or over corresponds to 6.5%, which is why the HbA1c tab starts in mmol/mol and shows the percentage beside it.
    • The NHS gives total cholesterol below 5 mmol/L as a guide for healthy adults, and that is the unit this page expects total cholesterol in.
    • UK laboratories report glucose and cholesterol in mmol/L, so the page begins with SI entry and gives mg/dL as the second figure.
    • The UK page starts with height in centimetres, weight in stones and pounds, and temperature in °C for the body and vitals tabs.

    Sources: NHS: High blood sugar (checked 2026-11-08); NHS: Cholesterol levels (checked 2026-11-08)

    How the medical unit converter works

    Each blood test has one multiplier between conventional units and SI units, and the UK page starts with you typing SI values. HbA1c has its own two equations, and the body and temperature panels use their own formulas.

    mg/dL = mmol/L ÷ factor, so total cholesterol 5.0 mmol/L ÷ 0.02586 = 193 mg/dL; HbA1c % = mmol/mol ÷ 10.929 + 2.15, so 48 gives 6.5

    • Entry begins in SI units (mmol/L), and the HbA1c tab begins in mmol/mol. A direction or unit you choose is kept.
    • The 32 tests are grouped into Metabolic, Lipids, Kidney, Liver, Electrolytes, Haematology and Hormones & vitamins, and each row shows the other unit and a range badge.
    • Glucose uses a factor of 0.05551, the three cholesterol rows 0.02586, triglycerides 0.01129 and creatinine 88.4.
    • Badges compare the value with a single typical adult interval stored in mg/dL, so the range printed on your own report always takes priority.
    • On the HbA1c tab the average glucose is 28.7 × HbA1c − 46.7 in mg/dL, then multiplied by 0.05551 for mmol/L.
    • Height starts in centimetres and weight in stones and pounds, and temperature in °C.

    How to use the medical unit converter

    1. Find the test. Search by test name, unit or panel, or narrow the list with the panel menu.
    2. Check the entry unit. The UK page starts with SI entry (mmol/L). Press the button if your result is in mg/dL, and numbers already typed are converted.
    3. Type the result. Enter the value on its row. The other unit and a range badge appear straight away.
    4. Convert an HbA1c. The HbA1c tab begins in mmol/mol and shows the percentage and an average glucose. Use the small list to type a percentage instead.
    5. Use the body and vitals tabs. Body metrics takes height in centimetres and weight in stones and pounds, and Vitals takes a temperature in degrees Celsius.
    6. Copy or export what you entered. Copy and Export CSV include only rows with a value, and Reset clears everything.

    Example: Cholesterol, glucose and HbA1c in UK units

    Typing a total cholesterol of 5.0 mmol/L gives 193 mg/dL, and the badge reads In range because the stored limit is 200 mg/dL. A glucose of 5.4 mmol/L gives 97.3 mg/dL. On the HbA1c tab, 48 mmol/mol converts to 6.5%, with an estimated average glucose of 141 mg/dL, or 7.8 in mmol/L. The tab's label for that value is only a banding of the percentage, not a diagnosis.

    When to use the medical unit converter

    • Reading a report from the United States. Type mg/dL values after switching the entry unit and read them in mmol/L.
    • Comparing an older HbA1c. Turn a percentage from an old letter into mmol/mol, or the other way round.
    • Checking a cholesterol figure. Convert total cholesterol and see whether it sits under the stored 200 mg/dL limit.
    • Preparing a question for the surgery. Copy converted rows to take to your GP appointment.

    What the medical unit converter does not do

    • The typical ranges are single adult intervals in the code. Laboratories, age, sex and pregnancy all change real ranges, so use the one printed on your report.
    • Conversions help you read a result. They are not for changing medicines or deciding what to do, which is a matter for your GP or care team.
    • Going from mmol/mol to a percentage uses the IFCC equation, which is a fitted line and so only approximate for any one sample.
    • The tool does not save what you type, and every country sees the same stored ranges.

    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

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

    Divide by 0.02586, or multiply by about 38.7. Total cholesterol typed as 5.0 mmol/L comes out at 193 mg/dL.

    What does 48 mmol/mol mean as a percentage?

    It converts to 6.5%, with an estimated average glucose of 141 mg/dL or 7.8 mmol/L. The NHS describes 48 mmol/mol or over as 6.5%. Your GP interprets the result.

    Why is a normal-looking glucose marked Above range?

    The stored interval stops at 99 mg/dL, so 5.5 mmol/L, which is 99.1 mg/dL, is just over it. The badge is a rough guide, and your report's own range matters more.

    Can I use this to adjust my medicines?

    No. It converts units so you can read a number. Any change to treatment is for your GP or care team to decide.

    Do sodium and potassium change when converted?

    No, the factor is 1 for single-charge ions, so mEq/L and mmol/L match.