Why do Bayer A1C and lab results vary?

That is quite large. There's a discrepancy because any kind of home glucose meter (A1c or blood sugar) just gives an approximation. Also, by chance, did you get really excited seeing your 6.1% and then have a couple of "cheat" meals to celebrate? Although the A1c is approximately a 90-day average, it's weighted toward your most recent blood sugar. Believe it or not, I know someone who had a party weekend before his A1c and the A1c came back significantly higher than the blood sugar averages before that weekend, strongly suggesting that running higher blood sugar for just a few days before the A1c can cause a lot of glycation. This makes sense, because your older hemoglobin cells are constantly dying off and being replenished with the new ones. If the new ones are running higher averages, they're disproportionately affecting your A1c even if your "average" is better.

By the way, check out the ReliOn Home A1c Kit from Wal-Mart. It's only $9. The problem is you won't get an instant read out. You send the sample to the lab and get it back 1-2 weeks later.

So quit wasting your money on OTC testing items. There are a lot of variables, and since glucometers are not more than 75% accurate, why expect the A1c stuff to be any better?

And most labs are within 5% of each other! No, their test results are not as accurate as we might like but they are what most doctors and employers go with both for A1c and drug screening!!

To get glucose to 6.9 mmol/L you must eat very very low carb and double up on your exercise regime and take the meds recommended.

Please don't expect instantaneous changes!! This is a percentage average we are talking about!!