BACKGROUND: A comprehensive cardiovascular risk control reduces diabetes-associated complications but achieving the triplet goals (blood glucose, blood pressure (BP), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C)) remains a clinical challenge. Patients’ knowledge of these diabetes therapeutic goals has been shown to improve glycemic control. However, this is not well studied in Ethiopia.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2020 in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital among randomly selected 419 patients with type 2 diabetes. Data was collected using a pretested, structured questionnaire. A multivariable binary logistic regression was fitted to identify determinants of knowledge.RESULTS: The mean age (±SD) of study participants was 57.4 (±10.8) years and the median duration (IQR) of diabetes was 12 (7, 20) years. A quarter of them achieved fasting glycemic control, a fifth of them attained the A1c goal and only 3% achieved the triple targets. Patients who reported knowing their target goals for BP, fasting blood sugar (FBS), A1C, and LDL-C were 79.5, 77.3, 11.7, and 7.2% respectively. The factors associated with knowledge of the therapeutic goals were longer diabetes duration, increased household income, age, being divorced as compared to married, having no formal education, and primary education.CONCLUSION: The majority of participants knew their BP and FBS targets while only a minority understood their A1c and LDL-C targets. It highlighted the need for the provision of patient-centered diabetes education to improve knowledge of the therapeutic targets.KEYWORDS: diabetes mellitus; knowledge; therapeutic goals; triple targets