Type 1 A1c's
I've been under the impression that I should be aiming for 5-7 and above 7 isn't horrific, but isn't good, let alone great. So I'm wondering, what have your doctors told you should be your target range? I know that plenty of people on here get down to the 5's and some even manage getting down to the 4's, but I'm more interested in knowing what other medical teams are recommending, as opposed to your own goals. I'd feel a bit more comfortable having a team that's pushing me to aim the bar high rather than settling for decent, but if 7.5 is considered good by most docs, I'll reconsider.
Thanks in advance!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alice on -
My doctor tells me to aim for 7. My results today were 10.1 ! Out of control. I've had T1 for 50 years. Burned out I guess. But anyway, the answer is 7 from my doctor.
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Permalink Reply by gladtobehere on -
I am type 1 and my endo is reasonably satisfied with an A1C around 7. So are the nurses at the clinic. I read recently somewhere that for older diabetics they start to balance the choice of A1C with the ability to cope with lows. Hence as you age a slightly higher A1C may be the lesser of 2 evils.
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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on -
It occurred to me that the scale should be sliding and, if someone's is at a 8-9-10 and makes changes to hit a 7, they deserve a round of applause that somebody else would not really deserve for going form 6 to 5.5. Both are still applause-worthy in their own right but the scale and expectations should slide depending on where you are at.
I think the scope of the A1C makes it harder to "beat" as it requires the same tactical approach as just saying "have good BG all the time". To me, it's like a bunch of little projects that you can sort of pick and choose one at a time, fix this number, get that rate, evaluate that activity, etc. Then, by the time you are the 5th or 10th or whatever on your list, the first 3 will have changed again anyway and you'll have to start over.
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Permalink Reply by MossDog on -
Geez AR when you put it (your last paragraph) like that it makes me want to cry b/c it is so true :-)
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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on
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Don't cry, If there were carbs in mushrooms and we ate them, it would be like Mario Kart! ;-)
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Permalink Reply by julie33 on -
I had been running 7.5 and above and finally at my Dr's appointment yesterday I got down to 6.4 and my Dr's have always said that when I was in the 7.5 range that it was bad and now at 6.4 she said it was perfect. If she said that my 6.4 was perfect I am just going to try my hardest to keep it at that and not go higher or lower.
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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on
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I don't ever think I'm *perfect* at a number b/c there's sort of always something to fiddle with to try to improve. If the number is good, that's great but I will still sort of look at stuff and fiddle around with it to make it smoother, the pump *bleep* less or whatever.
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Permalink Reply by merileepearl on -
I agree with acidRock, there's always room to improve a bit. but take a moment and wrap yourself in that 6.4 and celebrate! Great job!
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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on
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D'oh, I forgot to say great job on a great achievement too!!
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Permalink Reply by julie33 on
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Thanks, it took 10yrs to actually get something right, I was so excited
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Permalink Reply by zippyjo on -
I think A1C's are very personal and goals should be VERY personalized. I've struggled with my A1C's pretty much my whole life and nothing has made me feel worse than constantly missing the mark, constantly not living up to the goal. And while I think the online community is a great place to find support, sometimes seeing everyone's stellar A1C's just makes the struggle worse. I'm trying everyday ... I wear a pump, I wear a CGM, and I average 6-8 meter tests a day, I play tennis, I mountain bike. And my best A1C ever was an 8.2. And it was hard work to get there.
We all have different life situations and different bodies and therefore, goals are going to vary. If someone lives alone or struggles with nasty lows, then trying to hit a mark that's too low can be fatal. Some people have busy and stressful jobs, family stressors, etc. Some people have limited funds. The list goes on and on.
I don't have a spleen and I believe that affects my tests too -- it affects how long the red blood cells stick around, which affects how much sugar attaches to them. Anyway ... everyone is different. Sorry for the rant ... it's a touchy subject for me.
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