This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Psychological therapy combination helped adults lower HbA1c levels
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behavior therapy were feasible for adults with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, according to recent study findings.
Researchers from the United Kingdom investigated whether motivational enhancement therapy (brief counseling focused on self-motivation) with or without cognitive behavior therapy (focuses on identifying and changing negative behaviors) improved glycemic control.
They randomly assigned adults with type 1 diabetes (n=344) to four sessions of nurse-delivered motivational enhancement therapy for two months, 12 sessions of motivational enhancement therapy plus cognitive behavior therapy for during six months, or usual care.
The 12-month change in HbA1c levels was –0.46% (95% CI, –0.81% to –0.11%) in the motivational enhancement therapy plus cognitive behavior therapy group and –0.19% (95% CI, –0.53% to 0.16%) in the motivational enhancement therapy alone group.
According to a press release, the changes in HbA1c were small and in this particular study, the researchers could not determine whether the changes would persist beyond 12 months.
Ann Intern Med. 2008;149:708-719.