If you’ve been told your A1c level is too high, it’s possible to manage it. We’ll show you how you can keep your glucose levels within your own targeted range⁴⁰⁰, day after day. The first step may be learning how your glucose level changes throughout each day. A CGM may help you see the impact of food, activities and medication.

Let’s begin with some definitions.

Living with diabetes? Chances are, you’ve had to learn a lot of terms. Like “glucose level,” “time in range,” “CGM” and “A1c level.” Learn those terms, follow your medical team’s guidelines, and it’s possible to live with diabetes on your terms.

An A1c measurement is a picture of your average blood glucose level over the previous 2-3 months. It’s used to diagnose diabetes or show how your treatment plan is working⁴⁰².

Here’s how it works.

When you eat, your body’s natural insulin breaks down food into glucose and sends it from your bloodstream to your cells, making energy. People with diabetes have bodies that may not be able to produce insulin or use insulin properly. That means glucose builds up in their bloodstream. Enter insulin injections and oral medications, which help move glucose from the blood into other body tissues where it’s used for energy. They can also stop the liver from producing more glucose or make the body more sensitive to insulin⁴⁰³.

Your goal? Keep your glucose within your targeted range, more and more often. Your time in range is the amount of time that your glucose is within your goal, often 70-180mg/dl^400,405. Gradually increase your time in range, and you’re making steady progress. Keep up that progress and, in a few months, you may be able to lower your A1c⁴⁰⁶.

Master the glucose balancing act. 

While a lower A1c result is a good long-term goal, you can reach that goal by spending more and more time in range⁴⁰⁶. The good news is that you only need to manage it one day at a time and not only through your diet. That’s because many factors can raise or lower your glucose levels⁴¹⁸.

With time and practice, you can learn to predict what impacts your glucose. Other impacts can be hard or impossible to predict. So it’s important to check your glucose regularly if your healthcare team recommends it⁴⁰⁹.

In addition, one person’s glucose might rise quickly after eating a ½ cup of white rice but less so after eating a ½ cup of brown rice. Another person’s glucose might rise the same amount for brown or white rice⁴⁰¹.

The same is true for physical activities. One person with diabetes may be fine after an hour of pickleball. Someone else may experience a significant drop in their glucose after 30 minutes of play on the same pickleball court^401,410. 

Take small steps and make big strides

It’s important to arm yourself with facts, work with a good medical/dietary team, and set your own goals for steady progress. That progress could be something as personal as learning how your glucose changes throughout the day. 

Remember: Progress doesn’t mean changing your life in a day. It does mean knowing how meals, exercise, medications, and sleep affect your glucose levels. Then using that insight to make more informed choices⁷.

Most people with diabetes want to work toward an A1c result of 7% or less, continuously. But your personal goal may depend on your age, medical condition, and what you and your doctor decide⁴⁰⁹.

See the impact of every meal, every workout, and every dose⁸

Everybody and every body is different. That’s where continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMs for short) can be extremely helpful. A CGM like the FreeStyle Libre system has a small, wearable sensor that tracks your glucose levels continuously and sends it to your [Include specific/local app name (FreeStyle LibreLink app12 / FreeStyle Libre 3 app35 / FreeStyle Libre 2 app34)] or reader. You get real-time readings13 around the clock, without any fingersticks¹⁰.

FreeStyle Libre systems also feature glucose trend arrows that can show you where you’re headed, and what foods make your glucose rise faster (or more slowly). It can also show you what types of physical activity have an impact on your glucose level – and for how long. 

You’ll also be able to see reports about:

• your time in your target glucose range 

• daily patterns

• your average glucose level and 

• any low glucose events

Celebrate your personal victories each day

Having a CGM like a FreeStyle Libre system helps you make decisions with a much more complete picture of your glucose levels and trends. It’s the small but mighty way to make more informed decisions⁷ and take actions that can add up to big changes over time^7,27.​​

Instead of gauging your progress every three months with a single A1c measurement, you can celebrate small wins each day. Life may not be perfect, but it can mean less guesswork. 

No wonder more than 5 million people use FreeStyle Libre systems worldwide1. It can help lower A1c levels for adults with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes^7,27.