Best A1c Number to Aim for in Diabetes
The A1c is a number that tells you how much sugar (glucose) is stuck onto your red blood cells (glycosylated hemoglobin), giving an average of your blood sugar levels over the past few months
While doctors often aim for an A1c below 7% to reduce the risk of diabetes complications, it is crucial to also monitor your Time-in-Range (TIR) for complete and sustainable blood sugar management tips.
If you have diabetes, what should your A1c be, anyway? And what does A1c even mean?
You hear the term A1c thrown around all the time from the moment you’re diagnosed, whether it's Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. You've had this mysterious A1c number thrown in your face at all times, at all opportunities, by your doctors, and you were probably chastised if it wasn't exactly where they wanted it to be for you. It's time to take control of this metric and truly Learn what it means for your health.
Let’s go through the nitty-gritty details on A1c, what it means, and where yours should be for the best health.
What is A1c?
In a nutshell, A1c is the amount of hemoglobin that's glycosylated with glucose. Basically, it measures how much sugar is stuck onto your red blood cells. Since your red blood cells live for about three months, the A1c test gives a valuable average picture of your blood sugar levels over that entire period, not just a single reading.
This long-term perspective is why the A1c is so powerful and why your doctors, Diabetes Educator, and diabetes dietitian rely on it. It’s a foundational piece of your blood sugar management tips. By understanding what the number represents, you can begin to truly unlock your health potential.
Explore Your A1c Targets
Your doctors probably mentioned that they want you below seven. Why this magic number? Because the data shows that you have a reduced risk of diabetes complications if you are below seven. These complications include damage to your eyes, kidneys, and nerves, issues that we actively seek to prevent through excellent control.
We can visualize this range to discover what your number truly means and why certain ranges demand specific actions:
- Below 7.0% - The Safe Zone
Meaning: You have a significantly reduced risk of diabetes complications. By keeping your A1c in this range, you are setting yourself up for long-term health success.
Action: Amazing job! You are demonstrating excellent control. Work with your T1D meal planning specialist to maintain this level consistently. - 7.0% to 8.0% - The Okay Foundation
Meaning: You have an okay foundation, but you’re probably either having your blood sugars bounce more than we would like to see, or your number is just spinning higher than we'd like to see. While not critical, this range indicates room for improvement to reduce future risk further.
Action: Review your carb counting for diabetes accuracy, look at your meal dosing, and discuss possible medication adjustments with your Diabetes Educator or diabetes dietitian. - Over 8.0% - The Urgent Zone
Meaning: Yikes! This usually means there are some fundamental issues of carb counting for diabetes, meal dosing, or medication adjustments, possibly even basal rates. A high A1c over eight means your body is experiencing prolonged periods of high sugar, accelerating the risk of complications.
Action: Your care team should be going in-depth to help fix this with you immediately. If they are not providing that intensive support, you need to find someone who might be able to help, such as a specialized Type 1 diabetes dietitian or Type 2 diabetes dietitian, to review your entire treatment plan.
Beyond A1c and The Time-in-Range Metric
So you're below seven, amazing job. But now the question becomes, can you actually stay below 6.5% and keep your Time-in-Range (TIR) over 80%?
You hear the term A1c thrown around all the time, but this will help you Learn how it’s not the only part of the blood sugar control equation that you need to maintain a long, healthy life without restriction from diabetes. Time-in-Range is a metric gained from continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) that tells you the percentage of the day your sugar levels stay within a target, healthy range.
Hit both those markers, A1c below 6.5% and TIR over 80% and you are golden!
The goal is to prevent complications, make it easy and sustainable for you to follow, and to be able to do it for years to come. By focusing on both A1c and TIR, you explore a path to truly stable control.
Ask the Diabetes Dietitian
Q: My A1c is between 7.0% and 8.0%. What’s the first thing a Type 2 Diabetes Dietitian will look at?
A Type 2 diabetes dietitian will often start by reviewing the fundamentals of your food intake, looking for areas where easy diabetes-friendly meals or tweaks to your grocery shopping on a budget strategies can create more consistent glucose levels, preventing the "bouncing" that leads to higher averages.
Q: My A1c is over 8.0%. What should I do immediately?
This means there are fundamental issues (like with carb counting for diabetes, medication, or basal rates) that need immediate attention. Your care team should be going in-depth to help fix this with you. You may need to seek out a specialized Type 1 diabetes dietitian or Type 2 diabetes dietitian.
Q: Is A1c the only thing that matters for blood sugar control?
No. While it's important, it’s not the only part of the blood sugar control equation. You also need to hit that Time-in-Range over 80% marker to be truly golden and to ensure the control is easy and sustainable.
Is your A1c where you want it to be, finishing out the year? Remember, this number will help you Learn what you need to do next to live a long, healthy life.
Take Control of Your Blood Sugar Today! Grab your FREE FIX Your HIGH BLOOD SUGAR Checklist before it’s gone!
