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What if there was a way to find out how your diabetes management is going, without waiting for your next HbA1c test? Time in Range is an up-and-coming diabetes measure that lets you do just that. With Time in Range, you get regular access to detailed summaries of your sugar (glucose) levels. Time in Range lets you see all the peaks and dips during each day and night, and it shows you exactly what your medication, food, and exercise do to your glucose levels.
If you use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM device), you will know that it allows you to measure your ‘interstitial’ glucose throughout the day and night.1 Interstitial glucose sounds complicated but all it means is that the monitor measures the glucose level in the fluid under your skin rather than directly from your blood.2 You may also have heard of Time in Range, a term often used by the health care professionals Time in Range is an up-and-coming diabetes metric that could help you manage your glucoe levels and talk to your healthcare professional about your diabetes management, using the numbers from your CGM.1
Read on and find out more about Time in Range and how this measurement can help you and your healthcare professional improve your diabetes management.1
This free CGM Cheat Sheet gives you the basics about starting with a CGM device and Time in Range
The diabetes metric Time in Range shows how much time you spend in your target glucose range, using the numbers from your CGM device.1 You can use other CGM measures alongside Time in Range as a guide to manage your diabetes, such as how much time you spend above (Time Above Range) or below (Time Below Range) your range. Together they show you how much your glucose levels vary during the day and night.3,4
For most people, their glucose is ‘in range’ when it is between 70 and 180 mg/dL (3.9–10 mmol/L). Experts recommend that if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, most people should spend at least 17 hours (70%) of their day within this target range.1 Your doctor can tell you what your personal target range is.
What are the recommended targets for Time in Range, Time Above Range, and Time Below Range?
You will be familiar with using HbA1c to manage your diabetes. Time in Range does not replace HbA1c but can provide extra information and greater insight, because it shows you the peaks and dips in your glucose levels each day and night.1,3
HbA1c is a helpful way to look at your average blood glucose levels for the previous three months and it helps to predict your risk of diabetes complications.1 However, it cannot show you the daily patterns in your glucose levels so you cannot see any highs and lows you might be having.1 In fact, people with the same HbA1c values could have very different glucose patterns.5 A quick look at this article will help explain the differences between Time in Range and HbA 1c
Two people with the same HbA1c levels can have different blood sugar patterns.
By adding Time in Range to your diabetes management, you can get a more complete picture of your glucose levels. It can also help you spot any patterns in low glucose (hypoglycaemia) and high glucose (hyperglycaemia) during the day and night and between different days. By using Time in Range with HbA1c, you get a personalised story about your glucose levels, helping you understand how they fluctuate daily and what might be causing the peaks and dips.1
24-hour glucose levels of a person with type 1 diabetes
HbA1c result = 7.0%
High glucose variability – an episode of hypoglycaemia and a couple of episodes of hyperglycaemia
24-hour glucose levels of a different person with type 1 diabetes
HbA1c result = 7.0%
Low glucose variability and no hypo- or hyperglycaemia
“Time in Range makes it possible to plan ahead. If I’m going out, if I’m doing something that’s active, if I’m making a food choice, if I’m taking my medicine, I have that real-time data that helps me plan accordingly.”
A video snapshot of Time in Range
A diabetes expert explains how Time in Range is helping people with diabetes
Living with diabetes means an increased risk of certain health complications, but the good news is that increasing time spent in your target blood glucose range may help to reduce this risk.6,7
The more you know about your health, the greater your chance of protecting it. Time in Range can help you to better understand the daily patterns in your glucose levels and your diabetes management and can help you work towards your glucose targets.1 Identifying the cause of glucose fluctuations can help people with diabetes feel more in control, and real-world use is showing that people spending more time in range experience enhanced mood and a more positive mindset.8,9 A survey of people with diabetes has found that Time in Range came second only to food as the most important factor affecting their daily lives.8
Continuous glucose monitoring and Time in Range can also help you have more detailed discussions with your healthcare professional about your diabetes and better understand the advice you are given. Together you can discuss your eating habits and physical activity as well as your treatment choices, insulin dosage and the timing of your doses and set goals to improve your diabetes management.1,8
By using Time in Range alongside HbA1c, you can work with your diabetes care team to make a realistic and effective plan to manage your diabetes by spending more time within your target glucose range.1
This free CGM Cheat Sheet gives you the basics about starting with a CGM device and Time in Range
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