HbA1c TargeT AchIevemeNt in diabeteS study (ATTAINS study)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
HbA1c TargeT AchIevemeNt in diabeteS study (ATTAINS study)
IRAS ID
291254
Contact name
Niall Furlong
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
STHK-2021-003, Sponsorship Reference
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 28 days
Research summary
For diabetes doctors, the importance of providing personalised care and treatment goals to people with diabetes is seen to be increasingly important. A diabetes treatment goal known to be important in predicting later health problems is average blood sugar (also known as HbA1c or ‘A1c’). The A1c tells us what the blood sugar of people with diabetes has been like over the past 8-12 weeks. Over time, A1c helps predict what the chances are of developing health problems later in life for someone with diabetes.
Despite an improved selection of medications and increased awareness of A1c goals amongst people with diabetes, the achievement of A1c goals has improved very little over the past decade.
Many things can get in the way of achieving A1c goals in people with diabetes. Mental health issues are known to be an obstacle to optimal blood sugar levels. Research tells us that people with diabetes who also have mental health problems struggle to reach their A1c goals. Despite the frequent use of treatment goals such as A1c in the care of people with diabetes, little is known of the reciprocal effect that goal-setting has on the psychological well-being of individuals.
The ATTAINS Study will look at the effect that A1c goal-setting has on the psychological well-being of people with diabetes. This is an early project to see if a bigger project is justified in the future. The psychological impact that A1c goal-setting has on people with diabetes is unknown. A better understanding of this could help people with diabetes achieve their A1c goals.(see attached protocol document "ATTAINS Study - Protocol - v2.0.5 - 2021-02-26.pdf" for referenced versions of text used throughout this application)
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/SW/0043
Date of REC Opinion
30 Apr 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion