Diabetes Screening in Patients on Long-Term Glucocorticoid Therapy (DIACORT)

January 19, 2026 updated by: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon

Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed in the treatment of many inflammatory, autoimmune or allergic diseases, but also in transplant patients or patients with malignant hematological diseases (leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, etc.). They have many side effects, including effects on carbohydrate metabolism.

Corticosteroids are diabetogenic because they disrupt pancreatic insulin secretion and decrease the insulin sensitivity of target tissues (liver, muscle, adipose tissue).

The use of glucocorticoids may lead to the development of corticosteroid-induced diabetes in non-diabetic patients.

Corticosteroid-induced diabetes is frequently found in clinical practice. Incidence figures for corticosteroid-induced diabetes vary widely.

Case-control studies show odds ratios of corticosteroid-induced diabetes onset ranging from 1.36 and 2.23. In two of these studies, the diagnostic criterion was the prescription of a hypoglycemic treatment. Smaller studies, retrospective or prospective, show incidence rates of corticosteroid-induced diabetes ranging from 8.8 to 52%. This difference in incidence rates is explained by the different glucocorticoid doses, glucocorticoid durations, conditions requiring glucocorticoid therapy, and diagnostic criteria for corticosteroid-induced diabetes that vary from study to study. In kidney transplantation, diabetes concerns 16% of patients before the age of 40, and up to 52% after the age of 50. The diagnostic criteria used in the literature are often fasting and post prandial glycemia. The differences in incidence rates found with these two diagnostic methods can be explained by the pharmacokinetics of glucocorticoids. The main glucocorticoids prescribed have a duration of action of 12 to 16 hours. As they are generally prescribed in the morning as a single daily dose, fasting morning blood glucose levels are often normal while postprandial blood glucose levels are increased. This observation has been presented in 2 studies. However, the 2 diagnostic criteria were not statistically compared in these studies.

While according to the American Diabetes Association, the 3 criteria used to diagnose diabetes are fasting glycemia, glycemia 2 hours after an oral glucose load of 75 g and glycated hemoglobin, these last 2 diagnostic criteria are, to the investigator's knowledge, not used in the scientific literature to screen for corticosteroid-induced diabetes.

In current practice, the diagnostic criteria used are disparate. To date, there are no studies that have determined which diagnostic criterion is the most effective in screening for corticosteroid-induced diabetes. The current recommendations recommend early diagnosis and treatment in order to achieve satisfactory glycemic control as quickly as possible. These recommendations have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of degenerative complications of diabetes, but it is important to screen for corticosteroid-induced diabetes with the most relevant diagnostic criterion in order to optimise its management.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

75

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

inpatients and outpatients

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Person who has orally provided voluntary informed consent.
  • Patient with an indication for prolonged corticosteroid therapy (more than three months)
  • Non-diabetic patient

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Person not affiliated to or not benefiting from national health insurance system
  • Person subject to legal protection (guardianship, curatorship)
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
  • Adult unable to provide consent
  • Minor
  • Evidence of fasting venous blood glucose greater than 1.26 g/L, or Glycated haemoglobin greater than 6.5% at the time of initial blood sampling before glucocorticoid treatment.
  • Patient who had received corticosteroid therapy within 3 months prior to the study
  • Patient with hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Patients
Patients on prolonged corticosteroid therapy (more than three months)
Diagnostic test: Blood sampling
fasting venous glycemia, venous glycemia after sugar loading, glycated hemoglobin and platelet count

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
fasting venous glycemia
Time Frame: an average of 3 months
an average of 3 months
venous glycemia after sugar loading
Time Frame: an average of 3 months
an average of 3 months
Glycated Hemoglobin
Time Frame: an average of 3 months
an average of 3 months
Platelet Count
Time Frame: an average of 3 months
an average of 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Dijon

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 6, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 4, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 5, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

February 6, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 21, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 19, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BOUILLET 2018-2

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Diabetes

Clinical Trials on Blood sampling

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Equatorial Guinea

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe