TEENs Study Shows Achieving Target Blood Sugar Levels is Associated with Better Quality of Life for Young People with Type 1 Diabetes

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Sanofi Diabetes

16 Jun, 2014, 16:02 GMT

PARIS, June 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

− Findings set foundation to drive recommendations for enhancing care − 

Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced today the first results of the TEENs Registry Study, the largest contemporary real-world study of the care of nearly 6,000 young people with type 1 diabetes, ages 8 to 25. The findings not only highlighted that over 70% of youths are not attaining their blood sugar target levels (measured by HbA1C), but also that achieving target HbA1C is associated with a significantly better quality of life (QoL) for young people (p<0.05).

The TEENs Study investigated factors associated with better blood sugar control (defined as achieving target HbA1C levels recommended by international organizations) and QoL per age class, with three predefined age groups of 8-12, 13-18, and 19-25 years. The key factors identified were a younger age (8 to 12 years), balanced family support for diabetes management, and absence of family financial burden related to diabetes. The TEENs Study findings will help set a foundation for recommendations to enhance care aimed at improving disease management and patient outcomes. The findings were presented at the 74th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco.

"The TEENs Study provides exceptional, contemporary data related to the care and outcomes of young people with type 1 diabetes from around the globe. In particular, the study aimed at identifying modifiable barriers to diabetes management, especially during the transition from pediatric to adult care, and is providing an assessment of the challenges facing teens with type 1 diabetes and a unique view of young adults," said Lori Laffel MD MPH, Associate Professor/Chief of the Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Section of the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, U.S. and Co-Chair of the TEENs Registry Study Steering Committee. "The findings from the TEENs Study can help us to design new approaches to care that can overcome many of the challenges associated with suboptimal glycemic control and psychosocial burdens of care in order to help young people with type 1 diabetes and their families."

"Sanofi is committed to advancing knowledge in type 1 diabetes to improve disease management and outcomes," said Pierre Chancel, Senior Vice President, Global Diabetes, Sanofi. "Overall, insights from TEENS give us a unique opportunity to better assess the unmet needs of children, teens and young adults with type 1 diabetes, thereby enhancing their glycemic control and quality of life as well as limiting their risk of long-term complications."

Sanofi has partnered with more than 200 clinics, centers and hospitals, notably with the T1D Exchange in the US, for interviewing healthcare providers, youths with type 1 diabetes, and their families in 20 countries (within Europe, the US, Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, India). The results showed that achieving target HbA1C was associated with a significantly better QoL (p<0.05) in a real life setting. The TEENs Study findings also showed that over 70% of people aged 8 to 25 years were not achieving their HbA1C target according to international guidelines, with only 32% of 8 to 12 year olds and 29% of 13 to 18 year olds (ISPAD guidelines), and 19% of 19 to 25 year olds (ADA guidelines) reaching HbA1C targets.

Furthermore, the TEENs findings suggest that young people with type 1 diabetes can increase their chances of reaching their target HbA1C levels and having a better QoL by modifying approaches to diabetes management and education, such as using advanced intensive insulin regimens, performing frequent blood sugar monitoring (more than three times a day), engaging in regular exercise, and attending to dietary management. Family support has also been identified as a key factor influencing glycemic control (family involvement, absence of diabetes-specific family conflicts), as well as maintaining parental working activities, which was also linked to better QoL for young people with type 1 diabetes. Absence of financial burden related to diabetes was also associated with better glycemic control and QoL for young people with type 1 diabetes.

The TEENs abstracts are titled:

  1. Global Assessment of Factors Associated with Target Glycemic Control in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D): the TEENs Study (Laffel et al. Oral presentation, June 13, 6:00 pm PST, abstract # 32-OR) 
  2. Opportunities to Enhance Diabetes-specific Quality of Life (QoL) in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D): the Global TEENs Study (Anderson et al. Oral presentation, June 16, 9:00 am PST, abstract # 259-OR) 
  3. Diabetes-specific Health-related Quality of Life (QoL) in a Sample of US Youth with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in the TEENs Study (Anderson et al. Poster presentation, June 14, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm PST, abstract # 1247-P) 

About Sanofi 

Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

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