jimmyt1988
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For adults without diabetes, an HbA1c below 5.6% (38 mmol/mol) is considered normal. For those of us with diabetes, the guidance is a balancing act: we aim to keep levels low enough to minimise long-term complications, but not so low that we’re constantly battling hypos. The general target we’re given is to stay below 48 mmol/mol (6.5%), which is considered a reasonable balance between safety and long-term risk. Even with good control, we still face a higher baseline risk, and that’s a tough reality to sit with.
It’s also worth remembering that any HbA1c above 5.6 (38) suggests that some level of damage may be occurring over time. That can feel discouraging, and living with that truth, is horrid. <sighs>.
I’ve lived with type 1 diabetes for 30 years now (I'm ~37). I was fortunate early on—both my mum/dad and my doctor emphasised the importance of steady, consistent control, and I learned how to micro-dose with confidence. I also lost my grandad to diabetes. He never really grasped that if your glucose levels remain high, you suffer. He first lost his toe, then his foot. Then his leg. Then both. Then eye sight. Then life. He was proof in flesh, that you have to take this stuff seriously. Continuous glucose sensors have been a game-changer too; they’ve helped me smooth out those fluctuations even more and with FIASP insulin, I can react to higher levels with speed which is so much nicer than Novorapid.
Throughout my life, my HbA1c has generally sat between 5.9 (41) and 6.5 (48). Achieving that has often felt like carrying a weight on my shoulders. And despite my efforts, I have lost the ability to urinate naturally due to a loss of power in my detrusor muscle. My NHS urologist believes it could be a long-term complication of diabetes, even with the levels I’ve kept. Others think it’s unlikely, so it’s hard to know for sure—but it’s something I am having to currently live with.
Diabetes is extremely scary. And hunting for below 5.6 (38) is extremely tough, given that even with microdose you can only shift roughly -3 mmol, which sometimes is too much. I have to wait until I'm 7.5mmol, before being able to do 1 unit of insulin to get it down to 4.5. It becomes heavily diet related which is exhausting.
I guess I'll keep hoping for a cure in the meantime.
[mod edit: This posts and some replies were originally posted in this thread: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/type-1-what-are-your-hba1c-test-results.24469/post-2786355]
It’s also worth remembering that any HbA1c above 5.6 (38) suggests that some level of damage may be occurring over time. That can feel discouraging, and living with that truth, is horrid. <sighs>.
I’ve lived with type 1 diabetes for 30 years now (I'm ~37). I was fortunate early on—both my mum/dad and my doctor emphasised the importance of steady, consistent control, and I learned how to micro-dose with confidence. I also lost my grandad to diabetes. He never really grasped that if your glucose levels remain high, you suffer. He first lost his toe, then his foot. Then his leg. Then both. Then eye sight. Then life. He was proof in flesh, that you have to take this stuff seriously. Continuous glucose sensors have been a game-changer too; they’ve helped me smooth out those fluctuations even more and with FIASP insulin, I can react to higher levels with speed which is so much nicer than Novorapid.
Throughout my life, my HbA1c has generally sat between 5.9 (41) and 6.5 (48). Achieving that has often felt like carrying a weight on my shoulders. And despite my efforts, I have lost the ability to urinate naturally due to a loss of power in my detrusor muscle. My NHS urologist believes it could be a long-term complication of diabetes, even with the levels I’ve kept. Others think it’s unlikely, so it’s hard to know for sure—but it’s something I am having to currently live with.
Diabetes is extremely scary. And hunting for below 5.6 (38) is extremely tough, given that even with microdose you can only shift roughly -3 mmol, which sometimes is too much. I have to wait until I'm 7.5mmol, before being able to do 1 unit of insulin to get it down to 4.5. It becomes heavily diet related which is exhausting.
I guess I'll keep hoping for a cure in the meantime.
[mod edit: This posts and some replies were originally posted in this thread: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/type-1-what-are-your-hba1c-test-results.24469/post-2786355]
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