Time In Range (TIR) – A Healthy Ar-Range-Ment!

All or nothing, black and white… whether it’s work, our personal lives and even health, dealing in absolutes can add a lot of pressure and stress. We all seek to find that sweet spot amidst extremes that makes everything work better and is sustainable in the long run, more so when you factor in that our lives are constantly evolving. While change may be the only constant, when it is sudden and uncontrolled, it can get hard to deal with. When it comes to our health, fluctuation in glucose levels is one such change that needs to be monitored and controlled.

Multiple factors can cause these fluctuations in blood sugar levels for people with diabetes, such as illness, dietary choices, physical activity, emotional stress, hormonal level fluctuations, irregular intake of medication and dehydration, among others. When it comes to managing diabetes, it’s now all about finding a balance– based on your levels, needs and lifestyle. A system wherein you make a range of averages work for you, not absolutes.

An optimal ar-range-ment for steady health

Glucose monitoring is key for management of this chronic condition – uncontrolled spikes (hyperglycemia) and dips (hypoglycemia) in your glucose levels could lead to a number of side-effects such as anxiety, breathing issues, agitation, dizziness, fatigue, sleeping issues, blurred vision etc. Tracking  is the first step towards ensuring more steady and healthy glucose patterns and this is where your ‘Time in Range’ (TIR) comes in!

Rather than only looking at absolutes in glucose levels, it is about optimizing your time in range— the amount of time you spend in your target blood glucose range. The more time you spend in range, the less likely you are to develop complications. According to the American Diabetes Association, people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes should aim for a time in range and at least 70 percent of their readings( roughly 17 out of 24 hours each day) to be in normal blood glucose range. TIR is subjective and ideal glucose range depends on individual needs and situations, basis which a balanced long-term diabetes management plan can be created for you.

Timely tech to help keep you in check

Continuous glucose monitoring devices today provide that much-needed support, with critical insights, that allow you to manage your diabetes better. With real-time tracking and historical glucose level data, these devices give you key information like your average blood glucose levels, daily highs and lows and time spent in range. Since this data is helpful in determining which types of foods and what activity levels cause your blood glucose to rise and fall, it also allows you and your doctors to determine what preventive and corrective measures are required, as per your needs, over time.

Since we deal with numerable variables that affect our health on a day-to-day basis, it helps to have a target that accounts for change, and tools that empower us to find and create balance. Diabetes monitoring, like most life goals, needs to be sustainable, informed and simple to implement, with sufficient room to maneuver, review and improve...helping us even out the inevitable highs and lows! 

Disclaimer: The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive /for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information.