Lab Unit Converter
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Lab Unit Converter

Convert clinical lab results between conventional and SI units — mg/dL to mmol/L, HbA1c NGSP to IFCC, and more. Free, private, 100% in your browser.

Laboratory Tools

All conversions run locally in your browser. No lab values are sent to any server.

Convert a lab value

Examples

Results

Educational only. Reference ranges vary by lab, method, age and sex — this tool is not medical advice.

Keywords

lab unit convertermg/dl to mmol/lconventional to si unitsclinical chemistry unit conversionhba1c ngsp to ifcc converterglucose mg/dl to mmol/lcreatinine mg/dl to umol/lcholesterol mg/dl to mmol/llab result unit conversion

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How to use

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Pick the analyte you are converting — for example glucose

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total cholesterol

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creatinine

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or HbA1c — from the grouped list (diabetes

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lipids

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renal

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liver

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electrolytes

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hematology

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hormones and vitamins).

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Type the value in either unit. The tool converts in both directions instantly

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so you can enter a conventional value (mg/dL) and read the SI value (mmol/L)

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or the reverse.

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Read the result along with the exact conversion factor used and the molar mass it is derived from

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so you can see and verify the math rather than trusting a black box.

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For HbA1c

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switch between NGSP (%) and IFCC (mmol/mol) — the tool applies the official affine master equation

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not a simple multiplier.

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Load an Example to see a worked conversion

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or copy the result for pasting into your notes. Everything runs locally; nothing you type is ever uploaded.

Features

About 20 Analytes in 7 Groups

Convert the results clinicians reach for most: glucose and HbA1c, the full lipid panel, renal markers (creatinine, urea/BUN, uric acid), liver markers (bilirubin), electrolytes and minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphate), hematology (hemoglobin), and hormones and vitamins (vitamin D, cortisol).

Bidirectional, Analyte-Specific Factors

Each analyte uses its own conversion factor derived from molar mass — glucose ×0.0555, creatinine ×88.42, cholesterol ×0.02586 — not a single generic multiplier. Conversion works in both directions and the factor is shown so you can check it.

Correct HbA1c NGSP ⇄ IFCC Math

HbA1c is not a mass/molar conversion. The tool uses the IFCC-NGSP master equation (IFCC mmol/mol = 10.929 × NGSP% − 23.5), the internationally agreed affine relationship, so percentages and mmol/mol line up exactly.

100% Client-Side and Transparent

Every calculation runs in your browser with no upload. The tool shows the factor and molar mass behind each result, turning a conversion into a teachable, verifiable step rather than an opaque number.

Why Choose This Tool?

Your Values Never Leave Your Device

Every conversion is computed locally in your browser using JavaScript. The lab values you enter, the analytes you select, and any patient context you are working from are never transmitted, cached, or logged on any server. That makes the tool safe to use from a clinical workstation, a ward computer, or a personal phone without creating any new disclosure of health information, and it keeps working even with your connection disabled.

Real Conversion Factors, Not Guesswork

The converter uses established, analyte-specific factors derived from each substance's molar mass — the same values published in standard clinical references and the AMA Manual of Style SI conversion tables. Glucose, creatinine, cholesterol, and every other analyte carries its own factor rather than a one-size-fits-all multiplier, so the result matches what a laboratory or journal would report.

Handles the Special Cases Correctly

Some conversions are not simple molar arithmetic. HbA1c uses the affine NGSP↔IFCC master equation with both a slope and an intercept; ratios and percentages are unit-independent. The tool encodes these rules explicitly instead of forcing every analyte through the same formula, which is where generic converters go wrong.

Educational and Transparent by Design

Alongside each result the tool shows the exact factor and the molar mass it comes from, so a student can learn why glucose converts at 0.0555 (1 ÷ 180.16 g/mol) while creatinine converts at 88.42. It is a reference and teaching utility that makes the reasoning visible, not a black box that only prints a number.

Conventional vs SI Units in the Clinical Laboratory: Why Molar Units Matter and How Conversion Works

Two Ways to Report the Same Result

A laboratory can express the concentration of a substance in blood two very different ways. Conventional units report a mass of substance per volume — for example glucose in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or hemoglobin in grams per deciliter (g/dL). SI units (from the Système International d'Unités) report the amount of substance in moles per volume — glucose in millimoles per liter (mmol/L), creatinine in micromoles per liter (µmol/L). Most of the world reports laboratory chemistry in SI units; the United States is the major holdout that still uses conventional mass units in routine practice. Anyone who reads international journals, treats patients across borders, or merges datasets from different laboratories eventually has to convert between the two.

Why Molar Units Matter

Reporting in moles is not merely a stylistic preference. Chemical and physiological processes happen molecule-for-molecule, so a molar concentration reflects how many particles are actually present to react, bind, or exert osmotic effect. That makes molar units more meaningful when comparing substances or reasoning about mechanisms: 1 mmol/L of one analyte and 1 mmol/L of another contain the same number of molecules even though their masses differ. Mass units, by contrast, are convenient at the bench but obscure this stoichiometry.

The Factor Is Just the Molar Mass

Converting a mass concentration to a molar concentration only requires the substance's molar mass (grams per mole). The relationship is: amount (mol) = mass (g) ÷ molar mass (g/mol). In practice the published conversion factor bundles the molar mass together with the unit scaling (dL to L, mg to g, and so on). Glucose has a molar mass of about 180.16 g/mol, so converting mg/dL to mmol/L multiplies by 1 ÷ 18.0182 ≈ 0.0555. Creatinine (molar mass 113.12) converts mg/dL to µmol/L by multiplying by 88.42. Total cholesterol converts mg/dL to mmol/L by 0.02586. Because each factor is tied to a specific molar mass, there is no universal multiplier — the analyte determines the number.

HbA1c Is a Different Kind of Conversion

Not every "unit conversion" is a molar calculation. Hemoglobin A1c is reported two ways: the older NGSP percentage (%) familiar in the United States, and the IFCC value in mmol/mol used in much of the world. These are related by an internationally agreed affine equation — a straight line with both a slope and an intercept — not a simple factor: IFCC (mmol/mol) = 10.929 × (NGSP% − 2.15), equivalently 10.929 × NGSP% − 23.5. Because of the intercept, you cannot convert HbA1c by multiplying alone, which is exactly the kind of special case a good converter must encode explicitly.

A Worked Example

Suppose a report from a European laboratory lists glucose as 7.2 mmol/L and you think in mg/dL. Divide by 0.0555 (or multiply by 18.0182): 7.2 ÷ 0.0555 ≈ 130 mg/dL. Going the other way, a US fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL is 100 × 0.0555 ≈ 5.55 mmol/L. The arithmetic is small, but doing it by hand under time pressure — or applying the wrong factor to the wrong analyte — is a real source of error, which is why an analyte-aware tool is safer than a mental multiply.

Educational Use — Not Medical Advice

This converter is an educational and reference utility. It translates the number between unit systems; it does not interpret whether a value is normal or abnormal. Reference ranges vary by laboratory, analytical method, age, sex, and population, and a converted value must always be read against the reporting laboratory's own reference interval. Nothing here is a substitute for a validated laboratory report or clinical judgment. Use it to understand and cross-check results, then rely on the reporting laboratory and a qualified clinician for decisions about care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are my lab values uploaded anywhere?

No. Every conversion runs locally in your browser using JavaScript. The values you type, the analytes you choose, and any context you are working from are never transmitted, stored, or logged. You can confirm this in your browser's developer tools — no network requests are made while converting — and the tool keeps working offline once loaded.

How accurate are the conversions?

Each analyte uses an established conversion factor derived from its molar mass, matching the values published in standard clinical references and the AMA Manual of Style SI conversion tables. The tool shows the exact factor and molar mass it used so you can verify the calculation. The arithmetic is exact; the result is only as clinically meaningful as the input value and the reference range you compare it against.

Which analytes are supported?

Around 20 common analytes across seven groups: diabetes and glucose (glucose, HbA1c); lipids (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides); renal (creatinine, urea/BUN, uric acid); liver (bilirubin); electrolytes and minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphate); hematology (hemoglobin); and hormones and vitamins (vitamin D, cortisol). More analytes are planned.

What is the difference between conventional and SI units?

Conventional units report a mass of substance per volume, such as glucose in mg/dL. SI units report the amount of substance (moles) per volume, such as mmol/L. Most countries report in SI units, while the United States mostly uses conventional units, so converting between them is a routine need when reading international results or literature.

How does the HbA1c conversion work?

HbA1c is not a mass/molar conversion. NGSP percent (%) and IFCC mmol/mol are related by an internationally agreed affine equation: IFCC mmol/mol = 10.929 × NGSP% − 23.5 (equivalently 10.929 × (NGSP% − 2.15)). Because it has an intercept as well as a slope, you cannot convert HbA1c by multiplying alone, so the tool applies the full master equation.

Why are there different factors for different analytes?

The conversion factor is essentially the substance's molar mass combined with unit scaling. Because glucose, creatinine, and cholesterol each have a different molar mass, each has its own factor — 0.0555, 88.42, and 0.02586 respectively. There is no single universal multiplier; using the wrong analyte's factor gives a wrong answer, which is why the tool is analyte-aware.

Can I use this for patient care decisions?

No. This is an educational conversion and reference utility, not medical advice and not a substitute for a validated laboratory report. Reference ranges vary by laboratory, method, age, sex, and population. Always interpret any value against the reporting laboratory's own reference interval and with appropriate clinical judgment.

Does the converter work in both directions?

Yes. You can enter a conventional value and read the SI value, or enter an SI value and read the conventional one. The relationship is exact and reversible, and the tool shows the factor so the reverse calculation is transparent.

Do ratios and percentages need conversion?

No. Quantities that are already unit-independent — such as a ratio of two concentrations, or a percentage — are the same in both systems and do not require a mass-to-molar factor. HbA1c percent is an exception only because it maps to a different reporting scale (IFCC mmol/mol) via a defined equation, not because of molar mass.

Does it work on mobile and offline?

Yes. The layout is responsive and touch-friendly, and because all calculation is client-side, the tool works on a phone or tablet and continues to work with no network connection once the page has loaded.

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