Doctors/nurses are doing my head in at the moment. My last hba1c was 6.8% and one nurse said that's too low!? Was absolutely fuming!! Whilst 6.8% is ok, I would definitely like to be lower. The ultimate aim of us type 1's (type 2's also of course) is to achieve levels equivalent to a non-diabetic, right!? That's my aim anyway! So it drives me up the wall when I'm told by a 'specialist' nurse that 6.8% is too low!
First time being tested sincce diagnosis, was 118, now 42. Don't know what those results are in % sorry.
The issue is that NICE has now recommended that Hba1C target should be 6.5% or below. People are worried about Hypos in this context, yet we have to understand what we define as Hypo. I'm well under this number but my only severe, assisted hypos occurred when I had an Hba1C of around 7% and was using Lantus.I believe we should not be aiming to be the same as non-diabetics. The problem is, to have such a low hba1c means you almost inevitably will suffer hypos. I've only been T1 for 3 months yet have somehow achieved 6.8 after being 11.6 at diagnosis. Really happy with that and I'm told that is perfect. If I am too hard on myself, trying to get it down to 6.5 and below, I will run the risk of having hypos (I was at first and was constantly worried when the next hypo would be). I haven't had a hypo for 4 weeks and feel confident that my basal is spot on at 15 and am only injecting 2-5u at meals. Must be fairly sensitive to insulin then!
I think to get below 6.5% there will be times when your levels drop below 4.0, however as long as it's not a long way below 4.0, then I don't believe, personally, that this is an issue.
Ah yes but one problem with this is if you have a commute to work (driving) you have to be 5+ for the journey both ways. Personally I would find it impossible to run below 5 all night, bring my level above 5 for leaving home at 7:30, drop back again whilst at work and then bring it up again for my drive home, I would end up on a rollercoaster trying to manipulte my levels like that. It's much better (for me) to aim between 6 and 7, not that I always manage to hit it as evidenced by my last HBA1C of 7.5%. I'm trying to drop it to low 7's high 6's, then I'll be happy.
The other thing with this is running sub 5 all of the time would put me in the teratory of going very low (1's and 2's) if I accidentally had too much bolus, just half a unit either way can make a huge difference to my levels...
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