Glucose Control is Getting… WORSE?!

Kathryn’s Thoughts!

These days, greater emphasis is being placed on “time in-range” as a metric for evaluating glycemic control.  However, we still must pay attention to HbA1c since the risk of complications is proven to increase along with HbA1c levels.  Research recently conducted at the University of California San Diego and published in Diabetes Care has shown that adults with T1D now have worse glycemic control than previously thought.  Out of 31,430 patients, only 20 percent had and A1c of less than 7 percent, which is the level recommended by the American Diabetes Association. 

An electronic health record database was used to assess the prevalence of short and long-term complications among the patients studied.  The investigators observed higher rates of neuropathy (nerve disease), nephropathy (kidney disease), severe hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis among those with elevated A1c levels.

It just doesn’t have to be this way. 

As a 22-year-old who has lived with T1D for 10 years and reads all the time about diabetes research and technology, I thought I knew everything. When I started my internship with IDS I got to see how they interact with their patients. Part of my internship has been to experience first-hand how a patient is treated here.  I quickly realized that life can be so much easier and relaxing with their help. They tackle every issue, know how to prepare for everything (seriously, with their help I feel like I could survive a zombie apocalypse), relate to you, and take education far beyond any typical care. I really like my endo.  He even recommended I read “Think like a Pancreas” a few years back. He knows his stuff but he’s so busy. When I go in with a nice A1c, normal cholesterol and a successful eye exam, he just shakes my hand and sends me on my way.  Unfortunately, what we didn’t talk is all the “chasing” of high and low blood sugars I had to do to get there. 

Thanks to working with Alicia and observing Gary, Jenny and Annette, I’ve picked up so many valuable insights.  I haven’t had a single low blood sugar during a workout.  I’ve greatly improved my time in-range.  I’ve even switched to a pump (I swore I’d be on injections until there was a cure).  Now I’m super excited to give do-it-yourself hybrid closed LOOPING a try!

Integrated Diabetes Services is the perfect example of people with diabetes going above and beyond to help others.  Now I feel as though I can handle any challenge.  What a comforting feeling!