What is Good Diabetic Control?
Normal blood glucose and HbA1c levels
Normal blood glucose = 4-6 mmol/L
- Prediabetes is diagnosed if your random blood glucose = 7-11 mmol/L
- Diabetes is diagnosed if you have a random blood glucose > 11 mmol/L (or a fasting blood glucose > 7 mmol/L)
Normal HbA1c = 20-42 mmol/mol (or 4-6%)
- Prediabetes is diagnosed if your HbA1c = 42-47 mmol/mol (6-6.5%)
- Diabetes is diagnosed if your HbA1c > 47 mmol/mol or over (>6.5%).
Good diabetic control
Good diabetic control refers to maintaining blood sugar levels within a target range to prevent complications and manage symptoms. For most adults with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends the following targets:
- Fasting blood glucose: 4-7 mmol/L (72-126 mg/dL)
- Random (post-meal) blood glucose: 5-10 mmol/L (90-180 mg/dL)
- HbA1c (average blood glucose over previous 3 months): <48 mmol/mol (<6.5%) for many, though targets may vary based on individual factors.
Variable targets
- However, these targets should vary depending on factors like age, other chronic health conditions, and duration of diabetes. Your doctor can help determine personalised targets
- For example, blood sugar targets in older people may be higher than normal (say, 7-12 mmol/L) – this is because falls due to low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia or ‘hypo’) are more dangerous than the ‘benefits’ of perfect control.
