A question about Glucose numbers

[Guest guest]

Many organizations such as the American Association of Clinical

Endocrinologists recommend an A1c of 6.5 or lower. It's my understanding

that any A1c over 5.5 or 6.0 begins to raise your risk of complications.

The key word here s raises risk, not guarantees complications. An A1c of

7.0 was chosen as a cut-off after studies such as the DCCT demonstrated

that diabetes complications were related to control (prior to the

mid-1990s this was a big debate). This 7.0 cut-off is the level where

the risk of complications begins to increase dramatically. It's also

extremely challenging for a lot of people to get an A1c of 5.5 or 6.0,

especially for Type 1 diabetics where there is the risk of severe

hypoglycemia, so 7.0 is a more achievable goal.

On a related note, more recent studies are showing that the stability of

blood sugar may be just as important, or even more important, than A1c

in the development of complications. So if you have an A1c of 7.1 with

blood sugars that remain relatively steady throughout the day, this may

actually be better than an A1c of 6.1 that is achieved with blood sugars

swinging between extreme lows to extreme highs.

Jen

[Guest guest]

Thanks for this response, Jen. I feel like I should call you " Doctor Jen "

sometimes! <smile>

Dave

" ...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the

world. " [ 16:33]

Re: A question about Glucose numbers

Many organizations such as the American Association of Clinical

Endocrinologists recommend an A1c of 6.5 or lower. It's my understanding

that any A1c over 5.5 or 6.0 begins to raise your risk of complications.

The key word here s raises risk, not guarantees complications. An A1c of

7.0 was chosen as a cut-off after studies such as the DCCT demonstrated

that diabetes complications were related to control (prior to the

mid-1990s this was a big debate). This 7.0 cut-off is the level where

the risk of complications begins to increase dramatically. It's also

extremely challenging for a lot of people to get an A1c of 5.5 or 6.0,

especially for Type 1 diabetics where there is the risk of severe

hypoglycemia, so 7.0 is a more achievable goal.

On a related note, more recent studies are showing that the stability of

blood sugar may be just as important, or even more important, than A1c

in the development of complications. So if you have an A1c of 7.1 with

blood sugars that remain relatively steady throughout the day, this may

actually be better than an A1c of 6.1 that is achieved with blood sugars

swinging between extreme lows to extreme highs.

Jen

[Guest guest]

Thanks for this response, Jen. I feel like I should call you " Doctor Jen "

sometimes! <smile>

Dave

" ...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the

world. " [ 16:33]

Re: A question about Glucose numbers

Many organizations such as the American Association of Clinical

Endocrinologists recommend an A1c of 6.5 or lower. It's my understanding

that any A1c over 5.5 or 6.0 begins to raise your risk of complications.

The key word here s raises risk, not guarantees complications. An A1c of

7.0 was chosen as a cut-off after studies such as the DCCT demonstrated

that diabetes complications were related to control (prior to the

mid-1990s this was a big debate). This 7.0 cut-off is the level where

the risk of complications begins to increase dramatically. It's also

extremely challenging for a lot of people to get an A1c of 5.5 or 6.0,

especially for Type 1 diabetics where there is the risk of severe

hypoglycemia, so 7.0 is a more achievable goal.

On a related note, more recent studies are showing that the stability of

blood sugar may be just as important, or even more important, than A1c

in the development of complications. So if you have an A1c of 7.1 with

blood sugars that remain relatively steady throughout the day, this may

actually be better than an A1c of 6.1 that is achieved with blood sugars

swinging between extreme lows to extreme highs.

Jen

[Guest guest]

Thanks for this response, Jen. I feel like I should call you " Doctor Jen "

sometimes! <smile>

Dave

" ...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the

world. " [ 16:33]

Re: A question about Glucose numbers

Many organizations such as the American Association of Clinical

Endocrinologists recommend an A1c of 6.5 or lower. It's my understanding

that any A1c over 5.5 or 6.0 begins to raise your risk of complications.

The key word here s raises risk, not guarantees complications. An A1c of

7.0 was chosen as a cut-off after studies such as the DCCT demonstrated

that diabetes complications were related to control (prior to the

mid-1990s this was a big debate). This 7.0 cut-off is the level where

the risk of complications begins to increase dramatically. It's also

extremely challenging for a lot of people to get an A1c of 5.5 or 6.0,

especially for Type 1 diabetics where there is the risk of severe

hypoglycemia, so 7.0 is a more achievable goal.

On a related note, more recent studies are showing that the stability of

blood sugar may be just as important, or even more important, than A1c

in the development of complications. So if you have an A1c of 7.1 with

blood sugars that remain relatively steady throughout the day, this may

actually be better than an A1c of 6.1 that is achieved with blood sugars

swinging between extreme lows to extreme highs.

Jen

[Guest guest]

The ada has a guideline for an upper 6.5. For about a year it was 6.

These were based on new research which replaces the previous 7. The best

number is one in the normal range with an upper number somewhere around 5.3

or below.

One should treat this as a worst case number not as best results or a

desired target in and of itself.

Complications have no bottom number and increase in risk as it goes up.

The ada and other groups guidelines if met do not make risk disappear.

Heart disease kills most diabetics and the risk number starts in the normal

glucose range because other factors also contribute to it.

XB

IC|XC