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Have the target levels changed?

H

happycat

Well-Known Member
Went on a course last week where the dietitician said that the BG level that was ideal was 42. She repeated this several times. I can't seem to find out what this means. Does anyone here know and is it a new target? I thought that it was 4.00 to 7.00 before a meal and up to 8.5 after a meal. Does the amount that you eat affect the reading? For example can you eat lots of green salad or should you just have a small portion? Sorry to ask naieve questions, but very grateful for any help. :)
 
She probably meant Hb A1c. Where 42 equates to 6.0%. that's about equivqalent of an overall avrerage of 6.9mmol/l blood glucose reading over the last 3 months.
It is a little tighter than it used to be. They've finally realised that HbA1cs of 6.5% and over are too high to protect people from complications. Non-diabetics have HbA1cs around 4.5 -5% some are lower still. Bernstein says that most non-diabetics that he's tested [and he's tested loads!] have glucose values of about 4.7mmol/l most of the time.
My suspicion is that the targets set by US and UK "experts" were originally selected to be easy to achieve, so the "poor patients" didn't have to make too much effort, or give up anything and so the drugs companies could sell the most medicines.And of course until recently, home BG meters didn't exist and urine testing is very inaccurate as a guide to control.
In my mind, the only sensible TARGET is NORMAL non-diabetric numbers. I don't mean that all of us should achieve them all the time. I'm sure we can't. some people do though!, but what is the point of setting a target so high for a diabetic on treatment, that if that person were not being treated, they would be diagnosed diabetic?
Hana
 
Thank you Hannadr. You are a star. I have learnt so much from you. I have been trying to control carbohydrate intake since about mid-September. BG levels are down average 6.7 before a meal and 7.4 after, but still not consistently good enough. Before breakfast reading is often over 8, think it is Dawn Phenomenon. I really don't want to have medication but need to keep trying. I have a review on 18th December Do you think that there is much chance of reaching the magic 42? I am often hungry but try to eat as little as I can. Is this right? :)
 
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