I am 63 years old, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about eight months ago, both my weekly and monthly averages have been below 122 mg/dl [6.8 mmol/L] and my A1c is 6.1%. The only time I read over 125 mg/dl [6.9 mmol/L] is in the morning before breakfast, and it’s never above that for the rest of the day (before eating or two hours after eating). This is accomplished with diet and exercise only. If I keep my readings at these levels, will I still experience complications down the road?

Congratulations on such good care and results! In general, the answer to your question is you probably will not experience complications down the road. Outcomes for diabetes have been most closely related to the hemoglobin A1c. However, a word of caution is important here.

The natural history of type 2 diabetes is such that it changes over time. What may result in good control now may not work in two to three years. That is why you must continue to check your sugars and continue a healthy lifestyle. If the sugars trend upward, you will be able to notice this and work with your physician to try new therapies that will keep you under good control.

JTL