March 10, 2018

I recently converted one of my aero road bikes from a 22-speed to a single speed, which means I only have one gear. I can still get up to 27 mph on a sprint, but instead of pedaling at 80 revolutions a minute, I am forced to pedal at 123 revolutions. According to my coach, this extra work builds stamina and strength, which will come in handy when I attempt to do the Hincapie mountain climb in Chattanooga later this spring. This is 80 miles and 5,500 feet of climbing and my goal is not to have to get off the bike and walk at all.

The reason I mention this is to drive home a point about a recent recommendation the American College of Physicians has shared concerning A1c goals. It seems that they feel an A1c of 7 to 8 is okay to strive for. Why they would do that, knowing the thousands of studies that have been done showing the value of getting A1c’s below 7, is beyond my comprehension and would be equivalent to my coach telling me quit trying to climb the whole ride and just get off and walk.

Are they making this recommendation because that way they will look like they are doing a better job getting to target, regardless of the outcome for the patient?

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We can make a difference!

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Dave Joffe

Editor-in-chief