Diabetes trials lack patient outcomes
Only 19 per cent of ongoing randomised controlled trials of diabetes patients include patient-important outcomes as primary endpoints, a study published in JAMA this month suggests (2008;299:2543).
Researchers looked at the types of outcomes measured in over 436 registered
trials that included patients with diabetes and found that patient-important
outcomes — that is, death and quality of life (morbidity, pain
and function) — were being sought in only 78 of the trials. Large
trials and those of longer duration were more likely to include such
outcomes.
On the other hand, surrogate outcomes — such as HbA1c, cholesterol
levels and renal function — were reported in 268 of the 436 trials.
Physiological and laboratory outcomes were central to 16 per cent of
the trials.
The authors say that it is time for consensus on a standard set of outcomes
that are important for patients in diabetes trials.
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Hospital
Pharmacist