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August 15, 2005

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Question from Huntsville, Alabama, USA:

I’m middle-aged and have type 2. What matters more, the overall level of blood sugars or spikes in blood sugar? Overnight and after weight lifting, I tend to have spikes in blood sugar. From reading here and other places, it occurred to me that the real “damage” could come more from these spikes than the total amount of carbohydrates I eat. Does an A1c indicate just the average blood sugars levels over the last three months, or is it affected by spikes?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

The spikes may be a better indicator, but I am not sure the data to support that exists yet. The A1c is a measure of overall glycemic control. If your exercise causes spikes, but your sugars are always less after exercising, you still may be better off. The overnight rise in sugars can be addressed with medication through your doctor.

JTL

[Editor’s comment: See Should minimal blood glucose variability become the gold standard of glycemic control?
BH]