Taking Control Of Your Diabetes: An Innovative Approach to Improving Diabetes Care Through Educating, Motivating, and Making the Connection Between Patients and Health Care Providers

by Steven V. Edelman, MD

Our Diabetes Toolbox Has Grown, But A1C in the United States Has Remained Flat

The gold-standard goal of diabetes management has been to achieve meaningful and sustained glycemic control to reduce the risk of long-term complications. Unfortunately, results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that only about 50% of adults with diabetes in the United States, mostly with type 2 diabetes, are achieving an A1C less than 7.0%, and this percentage has not changed over the past decade.

In addition, the proportion of patients meeting individualized targets has declined according to the American Diabetes Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, and the overall proportion of patients in very poor control, defined as an A1C  greater than 9%, has actually increased.

Read how TCOYD is making huge strides to improve these statistics here.