Blood Glucose Targets are Individualized 

In April 2012, the ADA published its stance on blood sugar target levels for diabetes. The general recommendation is to obtain an A1c reading of less than 7 percent to reduce the incidence of microvascular disease. 

But don't expect any hard numbers from the ADA. One of the key stances taken in the ADA's position statement, Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2

Diabetes: A Patient-Centered Approach, explains: "All treatment decisions, where possible, should be made in conjunction with the patient, focusing on his/her preferences, needs, and values." 

The ADA takes a patient-centered approach in its advice, urging physicians to calculate blood sugar ranges for individual patients based on the following factors: 

• how long the patient has had diabetes;
• the patient's age/life expectancy;
• any existing comorbid conditions;
• any known cardiovascular disease (CVD) or advanced microvascular complications;
• existing hypoglycemia unawareness; and
• individual patient considerations.