Hi just to upset the apple cart totally, i have had type 1 for 38 years, my HBA1C has never been below 8% (2years of above 12%s)...I have had no complications at all...I still run competitively I have had 3 healthy children (1 when I was 40 !! . my kidneys and eyes are all fine...my daily bloods run from 6mmol - 12.5mmol, i still have great hypo awareness below 4mmol. I also have never had ketones even when I was ill with a serious chest infection and on predisnalone my bloods ran very high for days between 18mmol - 30mmol !!!. I think there is far too much focus on the magic HBA1c number. Just my tuppence worth