I really do hope also that the sight of scary HbA1c numbers actually prompts people to do something about them, and not simply take encouragement from being in the same boat as others. Safety in numbers is irrelevant to the consequences of having consistently high results for this test, and just does not apply.
I think I've heard that Diabetes UK recommend a target HbA1c of 7.5% for T1s, which may be why doctors also quote it? A lot of people on this forum recognise this figure is way too high to allow continued good health in the long term. Despite the recent blip my average HbA1c results over 27 years work out at 6.3%, based on testing every 6 months, and I have textbook complications. Sure there's more to the picture than just HbA1c results due to the nature of how they're derived, BUT there's currently no method of continuous measurement so we just have to make do, and do our very best to aim for non-diabetic numbers.
I'm genuinely sorry this post sounds a lot harsher than it's meant to and no offence is intended, but it needs to be said. I am now wearing full body armour, so let the onslaught commence! :wink: