Why Time in Range (TIR) is the New Gold Standard in Diabetes Management
Let’s talk about an outdated obsession: A1C. For years, this single number has been the holy grail of diabetes management. Your doctor circles it in red, your appointments revolve around it, and Meat Bag (you) still feels a small thrill when it drops. But here’s the reality—A1C is a relic, a fossil, a rough estimate that tells you very little about what’s actually happening inside your body.
Enter Time in Range (TIR), the metric that actually makes sense. If A1C is an ancient map scrawled on parchment, TIR is Google Maps with real-time traffic updates. It gives you the full picture of your glucose control, not just a blurry snapshot.
A1C vs. TIR: The Battle of Relevance
A1C: The Old, Flawed Metric
Measures average blood glucose over 2-3 months.
Can’t show highs, lows, or dangerous fluctuations.
Doesn’t tell you how much time you spend feeling like a functioning human versus a glucose rollercoaster.
Can be misleading—two people with the same A1C can have completely different daily experiences.
TIR: The Metric That Actually Matters
Measures the percentage of time you spend within your target glucose range (usually 70-180 mg/dL, though aiming for 70-140 is the gold standard).
Captures the real highs, lows, and in-range moments that affect how you feel every day.
Shows how different foods, activities, and insulin adjustments affect you in real time.
Strongly correlates with reducing long-term diabetes complications.
Why Time in Range Wins Every Time
It Shows the Truth About Your Control A1C might give you a 7.0%, but what if half of that is spent swinging between 250 mg/dL and 50 mg/dL? That’s not “good control”—that’s glucose mayhem. TIR tells you exactly how much of the day you’re in a healthy range.
Better Quality of Life Ever feel exhausted, moody, or like your brain is covered in molasses? That’s glucose variability at work. A stable glucose range means less fatigue, fewer crashes, and more days where you actually feel normal.
Predicts Complications Better Than A1C Studies show that the more time you spend in range, the lower your risk for complications like retinopathy, kidney disease, and nerve damage. Even a 5% increase in TIR (just one extra hour per day in range) significantly reduces long-term risks.
Real-Time Adjustments Are Possible TIR isn’t just a number—it’s a daily guide. It lets you fine-tune insulin dosing, adjust meals, and recognize trends before problems spiral out of control.
Why is Meat Bag Still Obsessed with A1C?
Simple. Because doctors are. The medical community has been slow to embrace TIR because A1C has been around since the dinosaur age of diabetes management. Old habits die hard.
Doctors love A1C because it’s a quick and easy number. But the real diabetes experts—people living with diabetes—know better. We live this every day, and we know that a flat, stable glucose line feels better than an “okay” A1C hiding wild fluctuations.
The hope? That doctors will catch up. The moment they start caring about TIR as much as we do, diabetes care will shift toward actual, real-world improvement rather than just chasing a number on a lab report.
What’s the Goal for TIR?
70% or more in range (70-180 mg/dL) for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics.
85% or more in range (63-140 mg/dL) for pregnancy with Type 1 diabetes.
Less than 4% below 70 mg/dL (hypoglycemia avoidance is critical!).
The higher your TIR, the better.
Final Verdict: A1C is the Past. TIR is the Future.
It’s time to let go of the outdated obsession with A1C and start focusing on what really matters: stability, predictability, and actual, daily well-being.
Meat Bag, you and your doctors need to evolve. You track your glucose 24/7, you see the trends, and you know TIR tells the real story. The world of diabetes care is (slowly) shifting toward TIR as the new standard, and hopefully, your doctor will catch up before the next Ice Age.
Until then, keep your glucose flat, narrow, and in range—and try not to let A1C steal all the glory for work that TIR is actually doing.
