Rationale and design of the glycemia reduction approaches in diabetes: a comparative effectiveness study (GRADE).

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The epidemic of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) threatens to become the major public health problem of this century. However, a comprehensive comparison of the long-term effects of medications to treat T2DM has not been conducted. GRADE, a pragmatic, unmasked clinical trial, aims to compare commonly used diabetes medications, when combined with metformin, on glycemia-lowering effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes.

Research design and methods

GRADE was designed with support from a U34 planning grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The consensus protocol was approved by NIDDK and the GRADE Research Group. Eligibility criteria for the 5,000 metformin-treated subjects include <5 years' diabetes duration, ≥ 30 years of age

SUBMITTER: Nathan DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3714493 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature