The Benefits of Safely Achieving Near Normoglycemia from the Perspective of People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Quantitative Survey Study

Heather L Gelhorn,1 Melissa M Ross,1 Shraddha Shinde,2 Vivian Thuyanh Thieu,3 Kristina S Boye2 1Patient-Centered Research, Evidera, Inc, Bethesda, MD, USA; 2Global Patient Outcomes and Real World Evidence, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 3Global Medical Affairs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USACorrespondence: Heather L Gelhorn, Patient-Centered Research, Evidera, Inc, 7101 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 1400, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA, Tel +1-970-363-7333, Email heather.gelhorn@evidera.comPurpose: To understand the perspectives of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on safely reaching near normoglycemia, defined as a glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) value of < 6%. HbA1c indicates the average blood sugar level over the past few months.Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional online quantitative survey of people with T2D asked about the current impacts of T2D, the anticipated benefits of safely achieving near normoglycemia among participants with a current HbA1c ≥ 6%, or the actual benefits of safely achieving near normoglycemia among participants who had an HbA1c < 6%. Participants reported on specific areas of psychological/emotional impact of T2D and the psychological/emotional benefits of achieving near normoglycemia.Results: Participants (N = 1000; United States = 500 and United Kingdom = 500) were 53.1% male and had a mean age of 62.9 years (SD = 13.3). The majority reported that the current HbA1c ≥ 6% (81.2%) and 49.2% had been diagnosed more than 10 years ago. The vast majority of participants (> 90%) indicated that achieving near normoglycemia was meaningful, with 95% of the participants indicating that achieving near normoglycemia would be of somewhat or extreme importance to them. In total, 93.8% of participants with a current HbA1c ≥ 6% and 80.3% of those with a current HbA1c < 6% anticipated/reported having experienced improvements as a result of achieving near normoglycemia. Among those who experienced or anticipated posit