StartRight Patients // Diabetes Genes

Why are we doing this study?

There are three main forms of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and genetic diabetes. The treatment for each is very different because they have different causes.

It is not always easy for doctors to be able to say for certain what kind of diabetes a person has. Getting the right diagnosis is important to know what treatment will be most effective; for example patients with Type 1 diabetes need insulin, whereas most patients with type 2 diabetes may be effectively treated without insulin.

The purpose of this research is to determine whether blood tests can help us improve treatment by identifying which patients have Type 1 diabetes, and will need very early insulin treatment, and which patients are unlikely to need insulin treatment at diagnosis. These tests include antibodies against the cells that make insulin (often seen in Type 1 diabetes), and a new test which assesses genetic risk of diabetes.

Who Has Taken Part?

Recruitment ended in March 2020 with ~1800 participants recruited into the study. Follow-up visits for existing participants continue until April 2024.

People were invited to take part in the StartRight study if they were diagnosed with diabetes during the last 12 months, were 18 years of age or over at the time of their diabetes diagnosis. Taking part in the study may help us discover whether early testing of blood samples can improve diabetes diagnosis and treatment.

StartRight Extension

If you have been invited to help us with the StartRight Extension, to update us about your diabetes following study completion, you can download the participant information leaflet by clicking the following link: StartRight Extension Participant Information

If you have a question about the StartRight study please contact the central coordinating team by email: rduh.DiabetesResearch@nhs.net