How Can You Achieve Great Hemoglobin A1c Results?

How old is this device?

The good folks over at Diabetes Daily conducted a survey of people with diabetes to find out what they were doing to get good HgbA1c levels. HgbA1c is a measure of average blood sugar levels over the prior three months. Lower HgbA1c levels, generally speaking, are linked to fewer diabetes complications. Prevention is always better than treatment. If you run across someone succeeding at anything, wouldn’t you want to know how they do it, assuming it’s a goal you share?  I recommend the entire report to you. An excerpt:

Type 2 Diabetes

Those in the lower A1c bracket (<6.5%) are significantly more likely than those with a higher A1c (>8%) to:

• Eat a very low-carbohydrate diet (<40 g per day): 32% vs. 13%
• Eat a ketogenic diet (<20 g per day): 13% vs. 0%
• Not vary their daily carbohydrate intake: 16% vs. 29%
• Eat a low-carbohydrate lunch (<20 g) on a regular basis: 50% vs. 28%
• Use an insulin pump: 10% vs. 3%
• Vary the timing of their meal-time insulin: 53% vs. 40%
• Exercise: Daily: 14% vs 8%. Exercise 4-6 times per week: 20% vs 8%.Exercise less than once per week: 51% vs 73%
• Feel very confident about their diabetes management skills: 69% vs. 26%
• Feel very optimistic about their long-term health: 58% vs. 30%
• Feel that diabetes doesn’t greatly interfere with their daily life: 56% vs. 19%
• Report a high degree of socioemotional support related to diabetes: 59% vs. 46%

Type 1 Diabetes

Those in the lower A1c bracket (<6.5%) are significantly more likely than those with a higher A1c (>8%) to:

• Eat a very low-carbohydrate diet (<40 g per day): 22% vs. 7%
• Not vary their daily carbohydrate intake: 9% vs. 28%
• Use an insulin pump: 71% vs. 53%
• Wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM): 76% vs. 60%
• Have lower “high glucose alert” setting on their CGM
• Have lower “low glucose alert” settings on their CGM
• Not vary the timing of their meal-time insulin: 43% vs. 59%
• Incorporate the protein content of their meal in determining their bolus insulin dose: 44% vs. 23
• Eat similar food every day, at similar times, AND limit eating out at restaurants: 20% vs. 7%
• Exercise: Daily: 21% vs 11%. Exercise 4-6 times per week: 24% vs 8%. Exercise less than once per week: 40% vs 66%
• Feel very confident about their diabetes management skills: 82% vs. 39
• Feel very optimistic about their long-term health: 59% vs. 42el that diabetes doesn’t greatly interfere with their daily life: 35% vs. 21%
• Report a high degree of socioemotional support related to diabetes: 68% vs. 56%

Source: Habits of a Great A1c Survey Data Report – Diabetes Daily

Lead researcher was Maria Muccioli, PhD.

Steve Parker, M.D.

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