what BS levels am i supposed to be aiming for?

[Carina1962]

I know that i have probably asked this question before but being a Type 2 diabetic i would like to know what other Type 2's would respond to this. Do i try and stick to the NICE guidelines on Diabetes UK for Type 2's at levels between 4 - 7 before meals and 8.5 or below 2 hours after meals or would others try and aim for lower? I understand that others say that post-meals reading should be as close to non-diabetics at 7.8 or below. At the moment i am not on any medication as i get my Hb1Ac results on 5 Jan so will know more then and of course will discuss what is best for me with my DN and GP but i would like to aim for what is considered to be 'safe'.

 

[Peter C]

I know that i have probably asked this question before but being a Type 2 diabetic i would like to know what other Type 2's would respond to this. Do i try and stick to the NICE guidelines on Diabetes UK for Type 2's at levels between 4 - 7 before meals and 8.5 or below 2 hours after meals or would others try and aim for lower? I understand that others say that post-meals reading should be as close to non-diabetics at 7.8 or below. At the moment i am not on any medication as i get my Hb1Ac results on 5 Jan so will know more then and of course will discuss what is best for me with my DN and GP but i would like to aim for what is considered to be 'safe'.

Jennifer's SmarT Advice suggests aiming for "normal" readings of 7.7 at 1 hour post-prandial and 6.7 at 2 hours. They're the kind of figures that T2s in tight control accept and aim for in the online support groups ( asd, asduk, DSF,mhsd etc)
The 8.5 of NICE is a comparatively low hurdle that is relatively "easy" to achieve. Don't want to scare them off by setting real testing targets that might take effort and commitment to get to ( and investment in education and training by the NHS).
And of course many newly dxed T2s are told "no need to test" so they are legless in any case and have no idea what their bgs are or what they can do to control them. Having advised new T2s not to test and to fly blind with an incurable condition THEY then have the cheek to call T2 diabetes the "Silent Killer".

 

[Caroline Wilson]

The targets you have sound pretty reasonable, but when you go for your appointment, you can discuss targets that are specific to you.

We are all different so our targets will be a little different. My father pre meal is consistently around the 8 mark. He is quite active, and enjoys things like gardening and a daily walk of 20 minutes to half an hour. Bcecause my job is quite sedantary (office based) I have been advised to try and stay between 4 and 7.

If I may suggest when you have your appointment, if there is anything you want to know, make a list and take it with you. Many people find this helpful.

 

[Steff]

hi as caroline says we are all diffirent and have diff targets, i now aim for 5-8 and this has gone down considerable for the forst 3 months i would say i was consistently over 10 but now as meds have kicked in i am so much more stable

 

[C*5_Dodger]

BS Targets

Dear carina62,

As others have said, it is a personal thing. Having said that the science is showing that the closer to normal we can keep our readings the longer we can delay complications. Have a look at this site:

Blood Sugar Targets

Warmest Regards Dodger