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Metabolic health: what are the numbers?

Metabolic health is usually judged on 5 numbers: waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol. Having 3 or more outside the healthy range is called metabolic syndrome. Healthy targets include an A1c under 5.7%, blood pressure under 120/80 mmHg and fasting triglycerides under 150 mg/dL.

Medically reviewed by a licensed physician, November 2, 2026 · Updated November 2, 2026 · 2 min read · Written by the Checkup Score editorial team

Checkup Score counts blood sugar, blood pressure and weight (or waist size) directly. Triglycerides and HDL aren’t scored on their own. HDL counts through non-HDL cholesterol. Very high triglycerides lead to a safety step, and low HDL with high triglycerides flags possible insulin resistance.

The pages below explain each number: what a healthy range is, what moves it and when to recheck. Start with A1c, the blood sugar test most doctors use.

In this section

A1c levels: what does your number mean?A normal A1c is under 5.7%.A1c of 5.7: what does prediabetes mean?An A1c of 5.7% is where prediabetes begins, according to the American Diabetes Association.

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Common questions

What is a metabolic health test?

There isn’t one single test. A metabolic health check usually combines a waist measurement, a blood pressure reading, and blood tests for blood sugar (an A1c or fasting glucose) and lipids (triglycerides and HDL). Most of these are part of a routine checkup. Together they show whether your body handles sugar and fat well. 1

What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome means having 3 or more of these 5: a large waist, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, higher blood pressure and higher fasting blood sugar. It raises the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Heart guidelines treat it as a factor that can tip treatment decisions. 1

What are healthy metabolic numbers?

Healthy targets include an A1c under 5.7% or fasting blood sugar under 100 mg/dL, blood pressure under 120/80 mmHg, fasting triglycerides under 150 mg/dL, and HDL of at least 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women. Healthy waist size depends on your height and background. 2 1 3

Related

A1c levels: what does your number mean?A normal A1c is under 5.7%.A1c of 5.7: what does prediabetes mean?An A1c of 5.7% is where prediabetes begins, according to the American Diabetes Association.Heart health numbers, explainedThe American Heart Association tracks heart health with 8 measures, called Life’s Essential 8.

Sources

  1. 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. AHA/ACC, 2018.
  2. Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. American Diabetes Association, 2026.
  3. 2025 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults (categories unchanged from 2017). AHA/ACC, 2025.

This is information, not medical advice. It doesn’t replace your clinician. In an emergency, call 911.