Clinical Research Directory

Trial of the Combination of Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Mirabegron in Women and in Men With Obesity

Background: Obesity and related illnesses cause at least 2.8 million deaths each year worldwide. Few treatments exist for obesity that are safe and widely available. A study drug (mirabegron \[MG\]) combined with a supplement (alpha-lipoic acid \[ALA\]) may help. Objective: To learn how MG and ALA can help the body process food. Eligibility: People aged 18 to 65 years with a body mass index between 30 and 45 kg/m2. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam. They will have blood and urine tests and a test of their heart function. They will speak with a dietician. The study has two phases. Each phase begins with a 2-day stay in the clinic; then the participant will take the study drugs at home for about 4 weeks, followed by another 2-day stay in the clinic. They will also have outpatient visits about 2 weeks after each clinic stay. During the clinic stays, participants will undergo many tests: They will have a plastic tube (catheter) inserted into a vein in each arm. These will be used to draw blood and to infuse glucose (sugar) and insulin. They will have imaging scans. They will have a clear hard plastic shield placed over their head to measure oxygen and carbon dioxide as they breathe. Participants will take the study drugs at home. Both MG and ALA are taken by mouth with water. During one phase, participants will take MG plus a placebo. A placebo looks like the study drug but doesn t contain medicine....

Intermittent Fasting Versus Carbohydrate Drinks Before Surgery

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether time-restricted feeding, a form of intermittent fasting, before surgery improves insulin resistance around the time of surgery, compared to carbohydrate drinks and standard fasting before surgery.

Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies of "Pre-Diabetes" in the Pima Indians

Insulin resistance and a defect in early insulin secretion are risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. A recent longitudinal analysis which tracked the development of diabetes demonstrated that both insulin action and early insulin secretion deteriorate as individuals progress from normal to impaired glucose tolerance and then to diabetes. These results suggest that both inherent (apparent in normal glucose tolerant subjects who progress to diabetes and likely to have a genetic basis) and acquired (evident as individuals progress from NGT to IGT to diabetes and possibly environmental in origin) defects in insulin action and secretion contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. To identify the genetic and environmental determinants of diabetes we are continuing to determine: (1) if there are genes that segregate with metabolic risk factors for diabetes which might therefore be genetic markers for type 2 diabetes and (2) the mechanisms mediating genetic and environmental determinants of insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. \<TAB\> Volunteers for this study will be admitted to the clinical research ward where they will undergo several tests to determine body composition, oral and intravenous glucose tolerance and in vivo insulin action. In addition, in selected subjects, adipose and/or skeletal muscle tissue will be obtained by percutaneous biopsy for in vitro studies of gene expression and insulin action in these tissues. A transformed lymphocyte cell line will be established for each subject as a permanent source of DNA for genetic studies. Genetic markers for type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance will be sought by typing each individual at positional and functional candidate loci in the hopes of finding an association between these loci and obesity, insulin secretion, insulin resistance and/or type 2 diabetes.

Identifying Risk for Diabetes and Heart Disease in Women

Background: \- Rates of diabetes and heart disease in women are increasing. Early recognition of risk could help women live longer and healthier lives. Race and ethnicity may affect the best kinds of tests to use to screen for these conditions. Researchers want to compare risk factors for diabetes and heart disease in African, African-American, and white women. Doing so may help identify the most effective screening test for each group. This study will look at healthy African, African-American, and white women who are federal employees and contractors. Objectives: \- To study risk factors for diabetes and heart disease in African, African-American, and white women. Eligibility: * Healthy African, African-American, and white women between 30 and 65 years of age who are federal employees or contractors. * For this study, African women must be born in Africa and have immigrated to the United States, and report that both parents are Africans. African-American women must self-identify as African-Americans, born in the United States, and have parents who both self-identify as African-American born in the United States. White women must self-identify as white and have parents who also self-identify as white. Design: * Participants will have four visits to study their risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. * The first visit is a screening visit. Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will be collected. They will also have an EKG test. Participants will also be shown how to fill out a 3-Day Food Record and wear an activity monitor called an accelerometer. The food record will keep track of how much participants eat for 3 consecutive days, including 1 non-working day. The accelerometer device will be worn for 3 days to monitor movement. * At the second visit, participants will have blood tests, an oral glucose tolerance test, and body fat measurements. They will also fill out questionnaires, review the food record, and have two imaging studies. * At the third visit, participants will have a longer glucose tolerance test. During the test, participants will receive both glucose and insulin and blood samples will be collected over several hours. Participants will receive lunch at the clinical center after the test. * At the fourth visit, participants will have a meal test. They will fast for 12 hours before the test. Participants will eat a specific meal and have blood samples taken during and after they eat. * Participants will discuss the results of these tests with the study doctors.

Inositol Supplementation to Treat PCOS (INSUPP-PCOS)

To determine if Inositol, a dietary supplement, will improve ovarian and adrenal androgen excess in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome(PCOS).

Metabolic Heterogeneity Underlying Hypertriglyceridemia: Hepatic Triglyceride Biosynthesis in Humans With Different Insulin Resistance Phenotypes

The focus of this cross-sectional study is to determine the effects of tissue-specific (adipose tissue or muscle) vs global (combined) insulin resistance (IR) on hepatic triglyceride biosynthesis in humans, and to determine differential effects of an acute exercise intervention on hepatic triglyceride biosynthesis in these groups.

Insulin Resistance and Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Patients With Myocardial Ischemia and Non-obstructive Coronary Artery Disease

The goal of this prospective study is to assess the correlation between coronary microvascular disfunction and insulin resistance in patients with INOCA. Patients with ANOCA and without diabetes will undergo invasive coronary microvascular assessment through coronary angiography and insulin resistance assessment through hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp test. Patients enrolled in the study will be followed for a period of 2 years to monitor their clinical status.

Developing an Adaptive Lifestyle Intervention Program in Family Medicine Clinics

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of conducting a multicomponent lifestyle intervention research study within the UAB Family Medicine Clinic at Highlands and to obtain preliminary data on the effectiveness of the adaptive treatment strategies being investigated to produce improvements in insulin resistance. This study is a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) with initial randomization groups of individualized nutrition counseling vs. individualized exercise counseling. Note that these initial nutrition or exercise interventions are NOT intended to produce significant weight loss. Participants that do not sufficiently improve their insulin resistance score after 8 weeks will be re-randomized to 2nd stage interventions of either receiving dietary counseling for weight loss or receiving a prescription for metformin. We will collect data on the effectiveness of the intervention to improve insulin resistance/metabolic health in the family medicine clinic as well as potential predictors or moderators of treatment success.

Study of the Effect of Innate on the Inflammatory Response to Endotoxin

Background: \- Innate immunity is the process by which white blood cells and other parts of the immune system sense and respond to potential infections by causing an inflammation. Researchers are interested in studying how the body responds to certain environmental factors, and whether the body s response can contribute to chronic illnesses or diseases such as asthma and certain types of cancers. Objectives: \- To examine how specific genes and proteins in blood cells respond to environmental exposures. Eligibility: \- Healthy volunteers between 18 and 45 years of age. Design: * The study will involve one visit of 45 to 60 minutes. * Participants will be screened with a brief physical examination and finger stick to determine if they are eligible to donate blood for the study, and will complete a questionnaire about any medications or other drugs (e.g., cigarettes) they may be taking. * Participants will provide a blood sample for research purposes.

Fiber and Metformin Combination Therapy in Adolescents With Severe Obesity and Insulin Resistance

This is a 12-month, single center, three-arm parallel design, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, to compare the effects of supplemental dietary fiber and metformin (MET) alone and in combination over 12 months on glucose metabolism (insulin resistance \[IR\]), inflammation and BMI in adolescents with obesity and IR, and to assess the relationship between therapeutic intervention(s) and changes in gut microbiome composition and function. Since MET and FIBER have been shown to reduce weight and increase insulin sensitivity through distinct but overlapping mechanisms of action, our central hypothesis is that the combination of FIBER + MET will have a synergistic effect and be more effective than FIBER or MET alone in improving metabolic function (IR) and reducing BMI and inflammation in adolescents with obesity, IR and family history (FM) of T2DM. .

Improving Glycemic Control With Electrical Stimulation

Once written consent is obtained, the participant will be provided with an accelerometer to be worn for 7 days to assess current physical activity levels. Subjects will be provided with a standardized diet (55/15/30% CHO/PRO/FAT) prior to collection of pre-intervention data of insulin sensitivity. Individuals will then participate in an 8-week electrical stimulation intervention (30min/day, 3x/week) and randomized into placebo/control, NMES, resistance training combined with NMES (RT +NMES), or resistance training (RT) group (n=15 per group), followed by collection of post-intervention data. The control group will receive electrical stimulation up to sensory level, the NMES group will receive stimulation up to tolerable intensity to induce visible muscle contraction, the RT+ NMES will receive stimulation up to tolerable intensity during resistance training, and the RT group will only receive exercise training. Pre-and post-intervention data includes measurements for body composition, resting metabolic rate, VO2max, insulin sensitivity, and comprehensive blood work.

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation: A Novel Treatment for Improving Metabolism

Once written consent is obtained, the participant will be provided with an accelerometer to be worn for 7 days to assess current physical activity levels. Subjects will be provided with a standardized diet (55/15/30% CHO/PRO/FAT) prior to collection of pre-intervention data of insulin sensitivity. Individuals will then participate in an 8-week electrical stimulation intervention (30min/day, 3x/week) and randomized into placebo/control, NMES, resistance training combined with NMES (RT +NMES), or resistance training (RT) group (n=20 per group), followed by collection of post-intervention data. The control group will receive electrical stimulation up to sensory level, the NMES group will receive stimulation up to tolerable intensity to induce visible muscle contraction, the RT+ NMES will receive stimulation up to tolerable intensity during resistance training, and the RT group will only receive exercise training. Control and NMES group will self administer stimulation at home. Pre-and post-intervention data includes measurements for body composition, resting metabolic rate, VO2max, insulin sensitivity, and comprehensive blood work.

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Improvement With Nutrition and Exercise (PHINE)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which diet and exercise may improve PAH through the modulation of insulin sensitivity. The central hypothesis is that dysregulated glucose metabolism elicits a response in PAH patients that can be modified by exercise and diet, thereby leading to improvements in pulmonary vascular disease.

Inositol and Metformin Administration in Mediterranean Diet and Low-Carbohydrate Diets in Women With PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder frequently associated with obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and metabolic dysfunction. Although lifestyle modification is recommended as first-line therapy, the optimal dietary approach for women with PCOS remains uncertain. This randomized, controlled, open-label, parallel-group trial aims to compare the effects of a Mediterranean diet (MD) and a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD), each combined with metformin, inositol, or folic acid (active control), in obese women with PCOS and IR. A total of 102 participants will be randomly assigned to one of six intervention groups and followed for two months. Anthropometric measurements, body composition, biochemical parameters, and hedonic hunger will be assessed at baseline and after the intervention. The primary outcome is the change in insulin resistance, assessed by the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), from baseline to 2 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in body composition, metabolic and biochemical parameters, and hedonic hunger.

Graded Insulin Suppression Test P&F

The goal of this study is to learn about how the hormone insulin controls blood sugar in a variety of people. The main question it aims to answer is about how much insulin the body actually needs to maintain a normal blood sugar level. Participants will be asked to come in for a one-day study visit in which they will undergo a "graded insulin suppression test" ("GIST"). The GIST involves intravenous (into the vein) infusions of octreotide, a medication that turns off the body's own production of insulin, as well as replacement of insulin at two different levels (low and high), with or without replacement of glucagon, and glucose (sugar). The study investigators will check blood sugar levels every few minutes during the procedure to determine the effect of the two different insulin levels. This study will evaluate the GIST in both healthy volunteers and those at higher risk for type 2 diabetes.

Assessing Trauma-related Links Between Affective and Metabolic Systems

KEY INFORMATION: The purpose of this study is to understand how insulin resistance (how your body processes sugar) and PTSD might be related. The goal is to improve the health of Veterans in three ways: 1. Understanding health risks: The investigators want to learn why Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to develop medical problems related to insulin resistance, such as diabetes. 2. Testing effects of a medication: The investigators are testing whether prazosin, a medication that studies have shown may address some PTSD symptoms, can also improve how the body responds to insulin. If it does, this could point to a specific biological pathway that could be targeted for development of new treatments to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes in Veterans with PTSD. 3. Links to depression. The investigators will also look at whether insulin sensitivity affects depression symptoms in people with PTSD. This may inform future research into treatments for PTSD.

Understanding Metabolism and Inflammation Risks for Diabetes in Adolescents

This research study collects health-related information and blood samples to better understand how body composition, lifestyle habits, and diet influence meta-inflammatory monocytes (MiMos) in adolescents. The hypothesis of this study is that adolescents at risk for metabolic disease have enhanced MiMo related activities leading to insulin resistance.

Interplay of Central and Peripheral Vascular Effects of Insulin in Obesity

Determine the impact of obesity with insulin resistance on the neurovascular response to brain insulin stimulation.

Peripheral Vascular Effects of Insulin in Obesity

Successful completion of this project will advance our understanding of the role sympathetic nervous system overactivity plays in driving skeletal muscle malperfusion during hyperinsulinemia and consequently impaired glucose uptake in obesity.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation for Overweight and Obese Individuals With Prediabetes

The purpose of this study is to understand and determine whether Palmitoleic acid (POA), monounsaturated omega-7 fatty acid (exists in regular diet), improves insulin sensitivity and decreases liver fat accumulation in humans. Unlike others, the study will use POA as a dietary supplement, rather than complex oils, which contain a significant amount of saturated fat palmitic acid. Palmitic acid has known harmful effects on the body. Hence, eliminating palmitic acid from supplementation of POA might increase its benefits. This trial stems from the preclinical discoveries that POA acting as a fat hormone, has beneficial effects on the liver, muscle, vessels, and fat tissue. Supporting this, higher POA levels in humans have been shown to be correlated with a reduced risk of developing type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks. In animals, it has been observed that POA improves sugar metabolism in a number of mechanisms related to the liver and muscle. Based on these findings, the design of this study is a double-blind placebo-controlled trial that tests the effects of POA on insulin sensitivity of overweight and obese adult individuals with pre-diabetes.

Dietary Strategies for Remission of Type 2 Diabetes

In this project, the investigators will perform a multicenter randomised controlled trial to determine whether advice to consume a moderate, whole food-based low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) ad libitum diet (CarbCount program) can produce and maintain equal remission rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D) as a nutritionally complete very-low-calorie formula diet followed by a energy-restrictive (i.e., calorie counting) diet (DiRECT principles). Within the principles of each approach, the dietary goals and change will be adjusted according to individual needs/capabilities conducive to long-term adherence. Furthermore, the investigators aim to determine whether the rate of diet-induced remission is reflected in/can be predicted by baseline or diet-induced changes in glucose variability (e.g., time-in-range measured by continuous glucose monitoring) and other factors such as anthropometric changes and genetic susceptibility. Each center will also conduct locally-lead standalone mechanistic research, including analyses of intra-abdominal/hepatic fat accumulation, adipose tissue biopsies and/or measurements of energy metabolism. Additionally, changes in medication use, nutritional status, cardiovascular disease risk, as well as adverse events, will be monitored.

Glycemic Effect of Diazoxide in NAFLD

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare a two-week course of diazoxide (at two different doses) and placebo in people with overweight/obesity and insulin resistance (IR) with, or at high risk for, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The main questions it aims to answer are how mitigation of compensatory hyperinsulinemia with diazoxide affects parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism (how people with IR and NAFLD respond to lowering high insulin levels so that the investigators can see what happens to how the liver handles fat and sugar). Participants will: * Take 27 doses of diazoxide (at 1 mg per kg of body weight per dose \[mpk\] or 2 mpk) or of placebo, over 14 days * Take 32 doses of heavy (deuterated) water (50 mL each) over 14 days * Have blood drawn and saliva collected after an overnight fast on four mornings over the two-week study period * Consume their total calculated daily caloric needs as divided into three meals per day * Wear a continuous glucose monitor for the two-week study period Researchers will compare fasting blood tests at intervals during the study period in participants randomized (like the flip of a coin) to diazoxide 1 mpk, diazoxide 2 mpk, or placebo, to see how the drug treatment affects plasma glucose, serum insulin, and serum lipid parameters (triglycerides, free fatty acids, and apolipoprotein B). They will also consume heavy (deuterated) water to assess de novo lipogenesis (building of new fatty acids by the liver).

Effect of Daily Erythritol Versus Sucrose Intake Over 5 Weeks on Glucose Tolerance in Adolescents

This trial is divided into different parts: Part A the EryAdo trial and Part B the EryClot trial. Part A EryAdo Trial: Childhood and adolescence are crucial periods for prevention of obesity, as obese children are five times more likely to be obese at adulthood than lean children. To this purpose, sugar consumption should be reduced. The sugar alcohol erythritol is increasingly popular as sugar substitute in the food industry and is also recommended to diabetic patients. The substance is freely available. Recent acute studies show that erythritol has a positive influence on satiation and gastric emptying without affecting insulin and plasma glucose. In this trial, the investigators aim to assess the effect of a chronic intake of erythritol versus sucrose on insulin resistance in healthy adolescents. Part B EryClot Trial: In recently published studies, a prothrombotic effect of erythritol and xylitol was described. Therefore, within a pilot study the investigators examined whether erythritol is detectable in the blood after administration of erythritol and conventional sweeteners (glucose and fructose). Also the effect on blood clotting was investigated. These preliminary tests served to clarify the data situation so that further studies can be based on them. The preliminary results of the pilot study indicated that there appears to be no measurable effect of erythritol on thrombocyte aggregation. This implicated that there is a discrepancy between our results and the results reported in a recent published study. This is why we need to assess the effects of erythritol in more detail (thrombocyte aggregation, and markers of platelet activation, endothelial activation and coagulation) in more subjects. Due to a study published in 2024 describing similar prothrombotic effects for xylitol, this substance needs to be investigated as well. Thus, the participants will receive erythritol, xylitol, or water in a randomized order. In addition to the EryClot ex vivo experiments, we will conduct in vitro experiments incubating platelet-rich plasma from healthy donors with increasing concentrations erythritol or xylitol followed by measurement of platelet aggregation by aggreegometry assay.

DIabetes GLycemic Assessment in Newly Confirmed Episodes

This is a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial involving 80 adult patients with newly diagnosed T2DM (diagnosed within the last 3 months) recruited at the Bogomolets National Medical University. Participants may be lifestyle-controlled or receiving stable non-insulin anti-diabetic medications. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either the Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring group (CGM group) or the control group (standard Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose \[SMBG\] using conventional glucometers). The gathered data will help determine whether the real-time visual feedback provided by CGM systems superiorly improves glycemic variability, optimizes metabolic parameters, and enhances patient adherence to lifestyle interventions and pharmacological treatment compared to conventional SMBG methods in the early stages of T2D.