Goals and Targets of Control
One of your main goals of treating diabetes is to control your blood sugar level by keeping it as close to normal as possible. People without diabetes normally have blood sugar levels less than 100 mg/dL (milligrams of sugar for every 100 milliliters of blood).
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) recommend the following blood sugar goals for adults with diabetes1:
There are two good ways to find out if your diabetes is in control: by testing your blood sugar yourself with a blood glucose meter and having a glycosylated hemoglobin test (A1C) in your doctor's office. Ask your doctor or diabetes educator what your testing schedule should be. To learn more about A1C and testing your blood sugar, click here.
The importance of mealtime control
Your blood sugar targets include numbers to hit at different times of the day:
- Before meals (also called your "fasting blood glucose")
- Two hours after meals (also called your "postprandial blood glucose")
For some people, controlling their after-meal blood sugar levels can be challenging. However, it is important to work toward good control after meals because these levels can have a significant impact on your A1C and health.
Now it's up to you to do your "level" best
Managing your diabetes is hard work, but it's worth the effort. You feel your best when your blood sugar is normal or close to normal. Controlling your blood sugar may take some time, but if you work at it you will see improvements in your blood sugar levels.
The benefits of staying in control
- Maintaining a near normal blood sugar level may help protect you from many of the serious problems that are related to diabetes.
- You'll feel much better if you keep your blood sugar close to normal. When your blood sugar is higher or lower than normal, you will probably feel tired, sick, and/or uncomfortable.
- Controlling your diabetes will keep it from controlling you. It will have less power to disrupt your life.
References
1. American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(suppl 1):S12–S54.
2. American College of Endocrinology. Consensus statement on guidelines for glycemic control. Endocr Pract. 2002;8(suppl 1): 5–11.
