What Is a Good A1C for a Type 2 Diabetic?
Healthful Vitality | 11/28/2022 | What Is a Good A1C for a Type 2 Diabetic?
A1C of 6.5% or above indicates diabetes, and any figures below them indicate normal blood glucose levels. Hence, it means that good A1C is below 6.5%. Then you may have the question, what is a good A1C for a type 2 diabetic? This article answers that question.
But wait, things are not that simple. A1C between 5.7-6.4% shows borderline diabetes or prediabetes. So, it means that perfect figures are if A1C is below 5.7%.
But, again, the definition of perfect A1C differs for healthy adults and those living with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, it will also depend on how long one has been living with diabetes, the patient’s age, and comorbidities. It means that there is no straightforward answer to the question, and good A1C would differ for every patient.
What is type 2 diabetes?
To understand what is good A1C, first, we need to understand a bit more about type 2 diabetes. It is a disease caused by high-calorie intake, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and faulty dietary choices, causing insulin resistance.
It means that in those living with diabetes, beta cells in the pancreas can still produce insulin. However, this insulin is insufficient to lower glucose due to insulin resistance. The human body needs insulin to transport glucose, growth, and metabolism.
It is a chronic health disorder that develops slowly over the years. High blood glucose, that is, glucose above 6.5%, causes damage to blood vessels, nerves, and other tissues. Thus, those living with poorly managed type 2 diabetes develop many health complications like heart disease, kidney problems, neuropathy, and more. Generally, type 2 diabetes causes premature death.
What is good A1C for type 2 diabetes?
Controlling blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes helps prevent complications and prolongs life. Ideally, one should try to maintain an A1C of 6.5% or below. However, it is not always possible. Thus, generally, doctors recommend a more realistic goal of 6.5% to 7%. This is marginally above the normal range but still quite good.
Therefore, doctors say that 6.5% is a good A1C for young adults or those who can manage diabetes well with diet and exercise. However, doctors recommend a higher target of 7% for those using at least one drug to manage diabetes.
However, if a person has more severe diabetes and has already developed some complications despite the use of multiple drugs, doctors say that even an A1C of 7.5% is good enough. Therefore, this target is more realistic for severe diabetics and may help prevent further progress of the condition.
Similarly, studies show that extensive pharmacological treatment of diabetes in older adults is not essentially good, as medications may also cause much harm. Hence, A1C targets for older adults are relatively less ambitious.
Doctors say that for patients aged 65 to 75 years, A1C of 7% to 7.5% is quite good. However, for those above the age of 75 and living with various health conditions, a target of 7.5% to 8% is well enough.
Thus, as one can see, that good A1C when living with diabetes depends on many factors. For example, it depends on diabetes severity, comorbidities, and the patient’s age. Sometimes, much higher A1C than normal is also acceptable.
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