While I started this blog to regulate my blood pressure, a side benefit has always been lowering my husband’s A1C levels.

As of today, that goal has been achieved.

What is A1C?

The hemoglobin A1C test measures your body’s average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months, according to the American Diabetes Association. It can tell you if you are on the road to Type 2 Diabetes.

And, back in January 2021, the VA told my husband he was. His A1c was at 6.8%, officially above the safe zone. They put him on a cholesterol medication – a statin – and said If he didn’t get it under control, it would mean he would eventually need to go on a Diabetes medical regimen.

This is all very standard. People with diabetes are at a greater risk of heart disease, so doctors prescribe statins to protect the organs and prevent strokes and heart attacks.

But here’s what I have a problem with. The doctor told him there was NOTHING HE COULD DO to get his A1C number down. Once it hit a certain threshold, the doctor said, it could not be lowered. The only solution was to take the statin FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

Allow me to remind you that I have a great deal of respect for most people in the western medical community. Modern science is beautiful and we are fortunate to be living in a time with vaccines and surgical procedures that save many MANY lives.

But to tell someone their ONLY option is to take a pharmaceutical for the rest of their lives is hogwash.

Again, I will point to the article that says doctors don’t typically recommend lifestyle changes because they generally will not be followed. The broad base of society WANTS to take a magic pill. And if that is you, then you do you.

But don’t tell me it can’t be done differently.

Habit Formation

As the article above mentions, habit formation is also science. Psychology tells us that habits are defined as actions that are triggered automatically in response to contextual cues that have been associated with their performance, according to the British Journal of General Practice.

So. We decided he would take the drugs. Because his doctor prescribed them. And, meanwhile, we would prove his doctor wrong by lowering his A1C level.

Because, while statins have been known to protect the heart, they have also been known to push patients into diabetes faster. Which blows my freaking mind.

My husband got his diagnosis in January, the same month we started implementing The Habits.

And as of August, my husband’s A1c has been lowered to 6.4%. In eight months, small daily habits have resulted in better health for us both, and thankfully that data can be tracked.

Now, according to the ADA, he’s still in the Prediabetes stage. And in fact, when he was 6.8%, he was in the DIABETES stage. But his doctor said they generally wait for the A1C to get to 7% before implementing more intense medication. Thank goodness.

Now we know we CAN lower his A1C through small habits formed over time. Again, he isn’t where he needs to be, but he’s working on it. And I’m so proud of his progress.