Another depressing report...

I'm with you on that one Jim. If somebody tells me I am going to die earlier.....I am determined to prove them wrong. A way to goes yet but not doing too badly........ :lol:

I love these depressing reports.......... :roll:

We can but try Jim.

Now Motivation.........that could start another thread entirely !! :wink:

Seeing that many diabetics have poor or worse control, It's not surprising tha a lot of them will shorten their lives. What no-one has ever looked at is whether Truly GOOD control still leads to shortened lifespan.
On the grounds that diabetes was a death sentence before the discovery of insulin in 1922, and since then things peole have survived for many years, I suspect that diabetics with GOOD control at or near normal HbA1c and with few "spikes", may well have a normal lifespan.
For those that don't know, a Normal Hb a1c is around or even below 5%. Average is 5.1% in one survey I saw[ sorry can't remember the reference] so the Recommended 6.5% may well not be good enough.
Hana

A normal non-diabetic Hba1c is 3.5%.....5.5 %.

In Diabetes an Hba1c of around 6.5 % is considered good.

It is good if Diabetics can get lower than 6.5% by tight control though, helps stave off complicatons.

I can't be bothered worrying about what might be and prefer to concentrate on the present, keep good bg control and eat healthy and the rest is beyond our control.

Nigel

hanadr said:

For those that don't know, a Normal Hb a1c is around or even below 5%. Average is 5.1% in one survey I saw[ sorry can't remember the reference] so the Recommended 6.5% may well not be good enough.
Hana

Click to expand...

quote="sugarless sue"]A normal non-diabetic Hba1c is 3.5%.....5.5 %.

In Diabetes an Hba1c of around 6.5 % is considered good.

It is good if Diabetics can get lower than 6.5% by tight control though, helps stave off complicatons.[/quote]

I had words about a healthy hba1c with my D consultant who is fairly well known through her work for DUK. She has told me that a non diabetic hba1c is anything between 4.6 and 6.4 and that I was being really silly to try and keep my bg levels 'so tight' and have an a1c at 6.7. Her recommendation is to get an a1c between 7 and 7.5%. I admit that an a1c above 7.2 might lead to problems after a few years but if people can keep their bg levels at healthy targets - being 5-7 before they eat a main meal and 8-10 2.5hrs later, then they should be ok for many many years with an a1c around 6.9 to 7.1%

The above applies to insulin dependant diabetics and I live within Greater London area. I think it would be good if all D consultants started singing from the same hymn book as there appears to be mixed messages posted on the forum regarding the 'healthy hba1c'

I[T2] regularly attend DUK meetings and so far no-one I have met there has told me my Hba1c in the 5%s is too low or that Iam foolish to keep it there.
However, My husban[T1] has been told at our local hospital diabetes clinic that tight control is dangerous.
Whenever I hear something like that, I ask for the evidence and the justification.so far I've never got any.
I think a lot of the numbers quoted at us are based on what the medical profession feels is easy to achieve rather than what is best for patient health. Considering that many patients couldn't be bothered to try for Normal levels, because they find the diet or the medication "hard". I think I understand. However
" What is easy isn't always right" to paraphrase Joanne Rowling in the voice of Albus Dumbledore.
Some years ago, a study was done on young children and deferred gratification. the child was left in a room with a marshmallow sweet. He/she was told they could have the sweet, but if they could wait until the researcher came back, they could have 2. The children who could defer gratification and wait for 2 sweets, were those that were more successful in a whole range of tasks.
I'm deferring my gratificcation in hope of future good health

hanadr said:

However, My husban[T1] has been told at our local hospital diabetes clinic that tight control is dangerous. Whenever I hear something like that, I ask for the evidence and the justification.so far I've never got any.

Click to expand...

Hana, most consultants will be united that tight control is dangerous in those patients who are type 1 and using insulin. As you are well aware, hypoglycemia can be dangerous at the best of times, but more so for those who have lost their hypo awareness symptoms due to keeping their bg too tight, hence why they say a hba1c of 6 but below 7.5 is much safer target to aim for.

Regards

Nigel

Try to achieve as much as possible, but not at risk of hypo or hyper's....enjoy life before it ends.....we only get one......everything and anything in moderation, gives a little enjoyment of everything along our journeys in life, sampling a little of everything a long our way, but not having to refuse anything......excesses in either direction for type1 especially can be dangerous, but experiencing none of life's pleasure's isn't enjoying life........try a little, gain a lot........achieving an average in everything means that you have enjoyed high's and low's of life's experiences-but being an 'average' diabetic' can give you a longer life to enjoy.....don't accept that you have to go to extremes for future 'statistics'......