Hi

hya daniel and a warm welcome to the forum,
have a good look around and ask whatever you like,
in the meantime what insulins /meds are u on and what kind of numbers are u getting?? also what do u eat on a daily basis?
im sure we will be able to help you (im type 1 and 37)

Hi Daniel
Welcome.
I'm far from being in the same situation as you, being a granny and a T2, but I have been married almost 40 years to a T1. From his experience and the point of view of a carer, I can tell you that young men are often not good at looking after their diabetes, because they don't see the danger ahead.
Whoever told you that an HbA1c around 8% is OK? It ISN'T It's far too high almost double the ideal non-diabetic level. I know you are diabetic, but that's no reason for accepting such a high number. You've been diabetic a while, so I assume you know what it's all about and that you know what the consequences of high blood Glucose are likely to be.
There are T1 diabetics who control the condition at non-diabetic levels and have been doing so for a long time. It takes dedication. This is one situation where you can't have it both ways, You either control and keep well or don't control and risk some nasty consequences.
I would recommend you read threads by Fergus, who is a diabetic in control.
Hana

Hi Daniel

If your specialist advises that you are OK at 8% I would tend to listen to his advice. Don't start panicing because 8% is too high. Getting it lower would be a good goal. My specialist who is well qualified to give advice is happy if I am below 8% but would prefer me to be 6% A non diabetic may well have a value of 4 but you are diabetic. I think very few diabetics have "perfect" control after all we are human, well some of us. :lol:

For me joining the forum was an eye opener and just by reading the sensible advice of which you will find loads, I have changed what I eat, not in a big way just small changes that help with my control.

The biggest help for me was changing my insulin its improved my control 100%. So as Totsy advised it would be a help for you to tell us what meds you are on.

So welcome to the mad house
.

Daniel, fuju et al

the latest guidelines for Hba1c are :"less than or equal to 6.5%"


Optimum is probably about 4.5%
Just because it's hard to achieve, doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
Hana

The actual guideline figures in the UK issued by NICE June 2009.

1.9.2.1
Adults with type 1 diabetes should be advised that
maintaining a DCCT-harmonised HbA1c below 7.5% is
likely to minimise their risk of developing diabetic eye,
kidney or nerve damage in the longer term.

1.9.2.2
Adults with diabetes who want to achieve an HbA1c down
to, or towards, 7.5% should be given all appropriate
support in their efforts to do so.

1.9.2.3
Where there is evidence of increased arterial risk
(identified by a raised albumin excretion rate, features
of the metabolic syndrome, or other arterial risk factors),
people with type 1 diabetes should be advised that
approaching lower HbA1c levels (for example, 6.5% or
lower) may be of benefit to them. Support should be
given to approaching this target if so wished.

1.9.2.4
Where target HbA1c levels are not reached in the
individual, adults with diabetes should be advised that
any improvement is beneficial in the medium and long
term, and that greater improvements towards the target
level lead to greater absolute gains.

1.9.2.5
Undetected hypoglycaemia and an attendant risk of
unexpected disabling hypoglycaemia or of hypoglycaemia
unawareness should be suspected in adults with
type 1 diabetes who have:
• lower HbA1c levels, in particular levels in or approaching
the normal reference range (DCCT harmonised < 6.1%)
• HbA1c levels lower than expected from self-monitoring
results.

1.9.2.6
Where experience or risk of hypoglycaemia is significant
to an individual, or the effort needed to achieve target
levels severely curtails other quality of life despite optimal
use of current diabetes technologies, tighter blood glucose
control should not be pursued without balanced discussion
of the advantages and disadvantages.

Nice piece of info that Cugila