What Is The Average A1c For A Type 1 Diabetic?
What is the average A1C for a type 1 diabetic? Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please,join our community todayto contribute and support the site. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. What is the average A1C for a type 1 diabetic? All I can find are recommended levels. But Google is failing me when it comes to actual average A1C levels in type 1 diabetics. Anyone know? Or have a better source of information than The Google? I don't think there is an "average". While I was pumping I was pretty steady at 6.1 - 6.4 (and didn't work too, too hard to get there). But I have a friend who is currently happy with a 7.5 % A1c and she is pumping too. And I had a close friend who couldn't get herself qualified for a pump as she was unable to get her a1c below 9%. actually gave it one more shot and came across this from 2012. Makes me quite happy with my most recent 6.2.... Still, want to break the sub 6 next time. Most people with type 1 in the U.S. fail to meet ADA treatment targets of an A1C of 7 or below A majority of adults with T1 are overweight or obese (matching the stats of non-diabetic America!) For ages 13-17, average A1C is 8.7% (those rocky teenage years !) Oddly, older adults (age 50 and up) had the best average A1C of all the groups, at 7.6% but they also had a surprising percentage (14-20% per year) of hypoglycemia, including events like seizure, coma, and ER visits In T1s over age 40, 20-30% are already living with diabetes-related complications I don't think there is an "average". While I was pumping I was pretty steady at 6.1 - 6.4 (and didn't work too, too hard to get there). But I have a friend who is currently happy with a 7.5 % A1c and she is pumping too. And I had a close friend who couldn't get herself qualified fo Continue reading >>
Your A1c Levels – What Goal To Shoot For?
Measuring Your A1C An A1C test gives you and your provider insight into all of your blood glucose ups and downs over the past two or three months. It’s like the 24/7 video of your blood sugar levels. Observing your A1C results and your blood glucose (also known as blood sugar) results together over time are two of the key tools you and your health care provider can use to monitor your progress and revise your therapy as needed over the years. Recent research is changing the way health professionals look at A1C levels. Instead of setting tight controls across the board, a healthy A1C level is now a moving target that depends on the patient. In the past, an A1C of 7 percent was considered a healthy goal for everyone. Yehuda Handelsman, M.D., medical director of the Metabolic Institute of America in Tarzana, California, says experts now recommend taking a patient-centered approach to managing A1C levels, which means evaluating goals based on individual diabetes management needs and personal and lifestyle preferences. Current ADA Goals The 2015 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes advise the following A1C levels: • 6.5 percent or less: This is a more stringent goal. Health care providers might suggest this for people who can achieve this goal without experiencing a lot of hypoglycemia episodes or other negative effects of having lower blood glucose levels. This may be people who have not had diabetes for many years (short duration); people with type 2 diabetes using lifestyle changes and/or a glucose-lowering medication that doesn’t cause hypoglycemia; younger adults with many years to live healthfully; and people with no significant heart and blood vessel disease. • 7 percent: This is a reasonable A1C goal for many adults with d Continue reading >>
Ada News: Insulin Is Safe, But Type 1's Still Faring Poorly
This is a good news + good news + bad news scenario, Folks. From announcements made at the ADA Conference in Philly, we've learned that long-term insulin use is shown to be safe — even Lantus use does not cause cancer risk! — but on the whole, type 1 diabetics in America aren't faring so well, health-wise. A huge and unprecedented study by the name of ORIGIN (Outcome Reduction with Initial Glargine Intervention) is the first-ever to investigate the risks of taking insulin on a long-term basis. Happily, researchers found that the risks are low! Daily injections "neither increased or reduced the risk of heart attacks, strokes, cancer or cardiovascular-related mortality." Albeit, this study was conducted on more than 12,500 patients either at risk for, or in the early stages of type 2 diabetes, but there's no reason to believe the results are not applicable to type 1s — the most likely folks to be taking insulin over loooong periods of time. "ORIGIN's findings should reassure patients and clinicians regarding the long-term health impact of using basal insulin therapy to target normoglycemia," said principal investigator Hertzel Gerstein of the McMaster University Department of Medicine in Ontario in a press statement. (Normoglycemia?! Is that an official medical term? Who cares? I love it!) Related European/U.S. studies counteract earlier claims that use of the long-acting insulin Lantus is related to cancer risk. Kaiser Permanente examined data from 115,000 patients using either Lantus or NPH, and found "no evidence of an increased risk for cancer ... and specifically no increased risk for breast cancer in the small group that stayed on these drugs for more than 24 months," according to principal investigator Til Sturmer of the Center for Excellence in Pharmacology Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes Through The Life Span: A Position Statement Of The American Diabetes Association
Incidence and Prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes The exact number of individuals with type 1 diabetes around the world is not known, but in the U.S., there are estimated to be up to 3 million (1). Although it has long been called “juvenile diabetes” due to the more frequent and relatively straightforward diagnosis in children, the majority of individuals with type 1 diabetes are adults. Most children are referred and treated in tertiary centers, where clinical data are more readily captured. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study estimated that, in 2009, 18,436 U.S. youth were newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (12,945 non-Hispanic white, 3,098 Hispanic, 2,070 non-Hispanic black, 276 Asian-Pacific Islander, and 47 American Indian) (2). Worldwide, ∼78,000 youth are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes annually. Incidence varies tremendously among countries: East Asians and American Indians have the lowest incidence rates (0.1–8 per 100,000/year) as compared with the Finnish who have the highest rates (>64.2 per 100,000/year) (3). In the U.S., the number of youth with type 1 diabetes was estimated to be 166,984 (4). The precise incidence of new-onset type 1 diabetes in those over 20 years of age is unknown. This may be due to the prolonged phase of onset and the subtleties in distinguishing the different types of diabetes. In one European study of adults aged 30–70 years, ∼9% tested positive for GAD antibodies (GADA) within 5 years of a diabetes diagnosis, consistent with other studies (5). Adults with type 1 diabetes often receive care in primary care settings rather than with an endocrinologist. Unlike the consolidated care seen in pediatric diabetes management, the lack of consolidated care in adults makes incidence and prevalence rates difficult to characterize, an Continue reading >>
Study Reveals Poor Disease Control Among Adolescents And Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes
T1D Exchange Clinic Registry data find a stagnant situation as little has changed in 25 years; underscores need for new technologies to help teens manage their disease BOSTON, May 22, 2015 – In a sweeping analysis assessing the current state of diabetes treatment in the U.S., T1D Exchange researchers conclude that there remains considerable room for improving treatment outcomes in type 1 diabetes across all age groups, but especially for adolescents and young adults. The analysis provides the most up-to-date picture of diabetes treatment, underscoring the need to address barriers to care and implement new therapies and technologies that can help type 1 patients achieve optimal metabolic control. The findings, published today in a special issue of Diabetes Care, come from data collected by the T1D Exchange Clinic Registry. Researchers from the Exchange evaluated data from more than 16,000 patients ages two to 95. Data were collected twice: between September 2010 to August 2012 and again, from September 2013 to December 2014. A key area of study was glycemic control across the age spectrum, determined by examining Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, a standard test of average blood sugar levels over two to three months. According to the American Diabetes Association, the recommended target A1c level is less than 7 percent for adults with type 1 diabetes and less than 7.5 percent for youth under the age of 19. Researchers found that while 8.4 percent remains the average A1c level across the Registry, A1c levels are notably worse among 13 to 25-year olds. In fact, A1c levels for 13 to 17-year olds have barely changed since the initial Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) results published in 1992. Specifically: Adolescents in the Registry averaged a 9.0 percent A1c Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes Stroke Risk And What A1c Levels To Aim For
A study finds that those with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, particularly in those with poor blood sugar management. Researchers in Sweden set out to estimate the elevated risk of stroke in relation to blood sugar management in patients with type 1 diabetes. The prospective, matched cohort study identified 33,453 patients with type 1 diabetes age 18 or older who were registered in the Swedish National Diabetes Register from 1998-2011 plus five control subjects per case from the general population which were matched for age, gender, and county of residence. Risk for any kind of stroke including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke were estimated by Cox hazard regression. Does Poor Diabetes Management Increase Risk of Stroke in Type 1 Patients? Of the 33,453 patients with type 1 diabetes (mean age 35 and mean duration of diabetes 20 years), 762 were diagnosed with stroke compared with 1122 of 159,924 control subjects.The risk for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke rose with A1c levels. Risk for ischemic stroke increased significantly with A1c levels at or above 6.9% (≤52 mmol mol-1). Risk for both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke also increased significantly in A1c levels at or above 9.7% (≥83 mmol mol-1).Researchers in their study abstract concluded that the risk for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke rose alongside poorer blood sugar management. How Low Should A1c Levels Be in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes? While it varies depending on personal circumstances, the American Diabetes Association recommends that A1c levels in people with type 1 diabetes be below 7%. The Association’s magazine Diabetes Forecast states in an article that a higher or lower goal may be best for the individual. “For example, an older adult with a limited life Continue reading >>
New Ada Position Statement: Lower Target A1c For Type 1 Diabetes
During the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 74th Scientific Sessions, held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, June 13-17, 2014, David Maahs, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Barbara David Center for Childhood Diabetes, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and the University of Colorado Denver, moderated a panel discussion about the ADA’s position statement on its recommendation to lower its target blood glucose levels for children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Panel members: Anne Peters, MD, FACP, Professor, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Lori Laffel, MD, Chief, Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Section, Joslin Diabetes Center and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA Sue Kirkman, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, SC Jane L. Chiang, MD, Senior Vice President, Medical and Community Affairs, American Diabetes Association, Alexandria, VA Identify Type 1 Diabetes Treatment Needs “This process didn’t actually begin with wanting to change a pediatric target,” rather “the interest was to create a separate position statement for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, because type 1 and type 2 diabetes are not the same disease,” stated Dr. Peters. The ADA’s position statement evolved from the creation of the Type 1 Diabetes Sourcebook, which was written by the panel members and many other authors. Dr. Peters explained the goal of the position statement is to cover the needs of people of all ages with T1D. She pointed out that “we don’t even know how many people have T1D” because many patients receive treatment through a primary care provider. Dr. Peters broadly estimated the number to be “on the ord Continue reading >>
A1c Test
Print Overview The A1C test is a common blood test used to diagnose type 1 and type 2 diabetes and then to gauge how well you're managing your diabetes. The A1C test goes by many other names, including glycated hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1C and HbA1c. The A1C test result reflects your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. Specifically, the A1C test measures what percentage of your hemoglobin — a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen — is coated with sugar (glycated). The higher your A1C level, the poorer your blood sugar control and the higher your risk of diabetes complications. Why it's done An international committee of experts from the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the International Diabetes Federation, recommend that the A1C test be the primary test used to diagnose prediabetes, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. After a diabetes diagnosis, the A1C test is used to monitor your diabetes treatment plan. Since the A1C test measures your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months instead of your blood sugar level at a specific point in time, it is a better reflection of how well your diabetes treatment plan is working overall. Your doctor will likely use the A1C test when you're first diagnosed with diabetes. This also helps establish a baseline A1C level. The test may then need to be repeated while you're learning to control your blood sugar. Later, how often you need the A1C test depends on the type of diabetes you have, your treatment plan and how well you're managing your blood sugar. For example, the A1C test may be recommended: Once every year if you have prediabetes, which indicates a high risk of developing diabetes Twice a year if Continue reading >>
Can An Add-on Pill For Type 1 Diabetes Improve A1c And Weight Loss?
Trial results testing sotagliflozin and Farxiga in type 1 diabetes show greater A1c lowering and weight loss, plus continued conversation about small risk of DKA Potential “add-on” (adjunctive) treatments for type 1 diabetes played a starring role at the 2017 EASD conference. Key trial results were announced for two non-insulin drugs that come in pill form, offering people with type 1 diabetes an exciting new option to manage blood sugars. The DEPICT 1 examined the use of Farxiga, a once-daily pill (an SGLT-2 inhibitor) currently approved for treating type 2 diabetes but not type 1, while the inTandem3 study tested an SGLT-1/2 dual inhibitor, sotagliflozin, also a once-daily pill that has not yet been approved. While these studies are not meant to be compared to each other given the general lack of standardization in the world of trial design, they both add to the excitement about the possibility of adjunct therapies for people with type 1. Both studies reported A1c reductions and weight loss – great for the push to approve add-on therapies for type 1 – along with continued discussion about diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). With these phase 3 trial results, the companies may now choose to submit the drugs to the FDA and pursue an “indication” for use in type 1 diabetes. The pills are taken once daily and work independent of insulin, meaning they won’t require complicated dosing. Glucose is only excreted through the urine when blood sugars are high, and then the drugs stop working when glucose levels come down. Read more below! Jump to a section: DEPICT 1 DEPICT 1 followed 833 participants with type 1 diabetes for 24 weeks; on average, they had an A1c of 8.5% and a daily insulin dose of 60 units. In addition to their regular insulin therapy, study participants e Continue reading >>
- Can An Add-on Pill for Type 1 Diabetes Improve A1c and Weight Loss?
- Diabetes WONDER DRUG: New pill can 'significantly' improve health of Type 2 sufferers
- Type 2 diabetes breakthrough: Scientists create first pill that not only STOPS the condition in its tracks but also helps patients lose weight - and it could be available on the NHS within 3 years
Ada: Teenagers With Type 1 Diabetes Not Even Close To Meeting Goals
One in 5 kids with diabetes has an A1C above 10%…. According to results of the TEENs Registry Study, presented at the American Diabetes Association 2014 Scientific Sessions, 75 percent of young people living with type 1 diabetes are not meeting the recommended glycemic goals. The TEENs study, funded by Sanofi, was one of the largest studies to ever assess type 1 diabetes management and the factors that affect it. Commenting on the study was Dr. Lori M.B. Laffel, chief of the pediatric, adolescent and young adult section of the Joslin Diabetes Center and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Laffel said in her presentation of the results, "Despite modern advances in insulin replacement, the majority of young patients still fail to achieve recommended glycemic targets. In addition many continue to experience acute complications including both hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis." The data was collected from 5,960 participants between the ages of 8 and 25 seen at 219 diabetes centers in 20 developing and developed countries including Europe, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and India. The patients had a mean age of 15 and a mean disease duration of 7 years. 75% of participants were white and between 26% and 29% were clinically overweight or obese. Average A1C levels were 8.3% for the 1724 children ranging in age from 8 to 12, 8.6% for the 2854 participants between the ages of 13 and 18 and 8.4% for the 1382 young adults aged 19 to 25. Overall 72% of participants were not meeting recommended A1C targets; less than 7.5% for those 18 or younger and less than 7% for diabetics between the ages of 19 and 25. Rates of DKA and severe hypoglycemia were higher among the young adults than either the tee Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes
Print Diagnosis Diagnostic tests include: Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test. This blood test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. It measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells (hemoglobin). The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with sugar attached. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates diabetes. If the A1C test isn't available, or if you have certain conditions that can make the A1C test inaccurate — such as pregnancy or an uncommon form of hemoglobin (hemoglobin variant) — your doctor may use these tests: Random blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken at a random time and may be confirmed by repeat testing. Blood sugar values are expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Regardless of when you last ate, a random blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher suggests diabetes, especially when coupled with any of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination and extreme thirst. Fasting blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken after an overnight fast. A fasting blood sugar level less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is normal. A fasting blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. If it's 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests, you have diabetes. If you're diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor may also run blood tests to check for autoantibodies that are common in type 1 diabetes. These tests help your doctor distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes when the diagnosis is uncertain. The presence of ketones — byproducts from the breakdown of fat — in your urine also suggests type 1 diab Continue reading >>
Understanding Your A1c
The A1C is a blood test that helps determine if your diabetes management plan is working well. (Both Type 1 and Type 2 take this test.) It’s done every 2-3 months to find out what your average blood sugar has been. (You may also hear this test called glycosylated hemoglobin, glycohemoglobin, hemoglobin A1c, and HbA1c.) A1c is the most common name for it though. How the test works Essentially, the test can tell how much sugar is in the blood stream by looking for proteins (hemoglobins). When glucose (sugar) enters the blood, it binds to the protein in the red blood cells. This binding creates “glycated hemoglobin”. The more sugar in the blood, the more glycated hemoglobin. It’s important to test your blood sugar levels (BGLs) throughout the day; however, an A1C test gives you a bigger picture with a long-term average of those blood sugar levels. What do these numbers mean? The A1c is an average of what your blood sugar levels have been over the 3-month period. In general, the higher your A1C number, the higher your likelihood of diabetes complications. (You don’t want a high A1C; it means there is too much sugar in your blood and your body isn’t absorbing it.) A1C number 4.6 – 6.0 Normal (does not have diabetes) 5.7 – 6.4 Pre-diabetes (warning that someone may develop Type 2 or have the beginning onset of Type 1) 6.7+ Diabetes (someone diagnosed with diabetes) <7.0 – 7.5 Target range (for adults diagnosed with diabetes – children diagnosed with diabetes) This target range varies between individuals, some people naturally run a little higher, some lower. It is important to note that especially in children a higher A1C (of 7.5) is recommended. The A1C number will help you and your doctor determine though if your diabetes management plan is working well. Continue reading >>
My Son’s A1c Was 6.1, But The Doctor Said He Had Highs And Lows And That Wasn’t Good. Isn’t A1c The Important Thing?
Q: My son is type 1 and 23 years old. His A1c was 6.1, but the doctor said he had highs and lows and that wasn't good. I thought your A1c was important? You are right in thinking that your son’s A1c is important, but it is not the whole story. A good way to think of an A1c reading is a three-month average of blood sugar levels. If your average blood sugar level is 120-130mg/dl (which is what an A1c of 6.1 usually represents), that's a good thing. However, if your blood sugar fluctuates from 40mg/dL (which is dangerously low) to 500mg/dL (which is dangerously high) and those extreme highs and lows average out to a blood sugar level of 125mg/dl, that's not a good thing. Basically, big swings in blood sugar levels means that they are not well controlled. The good thing is that your son is checking his blood sugar levels, and that can be helpful in developing a plan to get your son's blood sugar under control. One other thing your son may want to consider is to have his doctor or another member of his diabetes care team evaluate his blood sugar monitoring technique to make sure the fluctuations are not due to a problem with the testing procedure. Or if your son uses a continuous blood glucose monitor (CGM), he may want to check with his trainer (or whoever helps him manage his CGM) to make sure there is no problem with it. Originally answered by Kirk Spero, RPh Answered By dLife Expert: Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE Certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian living in Southern California. The content of this website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material on the site (collectively, “Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for, and dLife does not provide, professional medical advice, diagnosis o Continue reading >>
Why I'm Motivated To Maintain A 6.0 A1c With Type 1 Diabetes
At the age of 13, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (I also have Celiac disease). Somewhere in my 20s—motivated by the promise of better health now, and in the long run—I started making changes to maintain a 6.0 A1C level. I have to admit, maintaining this number wasn’t easy at first. So why go to such lengths to maintain an A1C of 6.0 when the American Diabetes Association says an A1C of 7 or less is desirable for people with type 1 and type diabetes? And the recommendation from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist (AACE) is less than 6.5? That’s easy: I slept better, had fewer blood sugar highs and lows, required less insulin and felt much more energetic. When your blood sugars are running in the mid-to-high 100s every day (an A1C of 7) you might not realize just how sluggish you feel until you get them down. High blood sugars take HOURS to get back into range so if you’re working to prevent them from happening in the first place, you’re staving off a lot of stress on your body. I also discovered that high blood sugars during sleep interfered with me getting truly restful sleep. I also felt my muscles’ ability to perform during exercise was worse. The list goes on and on. Without becoming obsessive about my diabetes management, I’ve actually been able to maintain an average blood sugar of 125 mg/dL and an overall range of 100 to 152 mg/dL most of the time. Periodic testing of A1C levels, which cannot be done at home, is important. Research shows that being in a healthy blood sugar range correlates with fewer complications from diabetes, such as kidney disease, diabetic neuropathy and high blood pressure later in life. In other words, better diabetes control translates into better health. If you wind up having a high A1C level it may Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes
Whether you have type 1 diabetes, are a caregiver or loved one of a person with type 1 diabetes, or just want to learn more, the following page provides an overview of type 1 diabetes. New to type 1 diabetes? Check out "Starting Point: Type 1 Diabetes Basics," which answers some of the basic questions about type 1 diabetes: what is type 1 diabetes, what are its symptoms, how is it treated, and many more! Want to learn a bit more? See our “Helpful Links” page below, which provides links to diaTribe articles focused on type 1 diabetes. These pages provide helpful tips for living with type 1 diabetes, our patient-perspective column by Adam Brown, drug and device overviews, information about diabetes complications, and some extra pages we hope you’ll find useful! Starting Point: Type 1 Diabetes Basics What is the risk of developing type 1 diabetes if it runs in my family? What is Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is disease in which the body can no longer produce insulin. Insulin is normally needed to convert sugar (also called glucose) and other food sources into energy for the body’s cells. It is believed that in people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system attacks and kills the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot control blood sugar, and people can suffer from dangerously high blood sugar levels (called hyperglycemia). To control their blood glucose levels, people with type 1 diabetes take insulin injections. Before the discovery of insulin, type 1 diabetes was a death sentence (and it still is for patients with poor access to insulin). Can Type 1 Diabetes Be Prevented? Unfortunately, the genetic and environmental triggers for the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes are not well understood, althoug Continue reading >>
