Active clinical trials for "Metabolic Syndrome"

The benzoic acid derivatives sodium and potassium benzoate are preservatives that are commonly added to food and beverages to inhibit microbial growth and prevent spoilage. In the US the major source of benzoate intake is beverages. Studies have shown that piglets or chicks fed low levels of benzoic acid have greater feed efficiency and gain more weight than control fed animals. It has also been shown that benzoic acid inhibits the release of a key metabolic hormone, leptin, from isolated adipocytes (fat cells). Inadequate leptin levels result in increased appetite, decreased metabolic rate, weight gain, insulin resistance and increased diabetes risk. The primary aim of the proposed research is to directly determine if benzoate consumption in human volunteers results in lower levels of leptin, decreased metabolic rate and increased insulin resistance. If so this would implicate benzoic acid as an obesogen and would help inform more effective approaches to obesity prevention and treatment. A secondary aim of the study is to establish a connection between benzoate exposure and biomarkers in urine that can be used to help treat obese patients.

This pilot study aims to determine whether adding a sleep extension and sleep hygiene intervention to an existing lifestyle improvement program improves its efficacy for weight loss in those at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Half of the participants will receive the Centers for Disease Control's standard PreventT2 program and half of the participants will receive the same program with an additional sleep intervention.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, one in every 12 individuals is a diabetic (about 8% of the world population). Major risk factors of diabetes are all the aspects of modern life which include obesity, over-weight, high-risk behavior like smoking, alcohol, multiple drug use-recreational or prescribed, environmental risk factors like inactivity and lack of exercise. However there is a window of opportunity between health and disease, which is pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes has been defined by American Diabetes Association as Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) which is 7.8 -11.0 mmol/l, Impaired Fasting Glucose Test (IFT) which is 5.6-6.9mmol/l and now added Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) of 5.7% to 6.4%. Though there are plenty of drugs available for significantly impaired glucose metabolism (including oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin), their use in marginally impaired glucose metabolism is questionable due to risk of untoward hypoglycemia. On the other hand, herbal products like curcumin, as a single ingredient has poor bioavailability problem that restricts its use as standalone treatment. Inulin works as pre-biotic and help to maintain gut microbiota which is considered as precursor for progress of prediabetes to diabetes. However, it does not have any role in primary pathophysiology of impaired glucose metabolism, i.e. pancreatic β cell dysfunction, insulin resistance, hepatic gluconeogenesis or intestinal glucose absorption. Resveratrol and omega-3 basically work on anti-oxidant pathways. None of these popular ingredients has been studied for their role in structural and functional health of pancreatic β cells which is very important for prediction of further progress of marginally impaired glucose metabolism to significantly impaired glucose metabolism. It is an unmet need to develop a product which not only improves insulin sensitivity, but also help to preserve the structural and functional health of pancreatic β cells. It also needs to improve overall metabolic and endothelial health of the person considering the close association between impaired glucose metabolism and these parameters. The proposed supplement - "Berberine GlucoGold "- is an improved version of successfully marketed supplement - Berberine GlucoDefense. It has a balanced composition in which all the ingredients complement each other in such a way that along with the individual role in glucose metabolism it also takes care of overall bioavailability and stability of the supplement. As per the previous data on ingredients, the supplement is also expected to preserve the structural and functional health of pancreatic β cells. The ingredients are also known to have positive effect on overall metabolic and endothelial health. Thus BGG has been developed to address the unmet needs in the area of glucose metabolism and overall metabolic health.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health problem associated with substantial costs and resource utilization. Currently, CKD affects more than 500 million people worldwide. Patients with CKD have unacceptably high mortality rates due to cardiovascular (CV) causes, which are not entirely explained by traditional CV risk factors. The mortality rates in advanced CKD are six times higher compared to the Medicare population, with CVD accounting for the overwhelming majority of deaths. Insulin resistance (IR) is common in CKD patients and may represent a central link between CKD and the increased CVD risk observed in this population. Insulin resistance may increase CV risk by impairing and worsening endothelial function, increasing reactive oxygen species, and exacerbating systemic inflammation-hence, insulin resistance is considered a "non-traditional CV risk factor" in CKD. Obesity (defined by a body mass index [BMI] of at least 30 kg/m2) is a major public health problem-the upward trend in obesity prevalence across regions and continents is a worldwide concern. Obesity increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and death. In the general population, obesity hastens death by 9.4 years. Obesity is an independent risk factor for CKD. Besides its contribution to the development of diabetes and hypertension, increased fat mass may also have a direct impact on kidney function. In spite of the increasing prevalence of both obesity and CKD, the impact of obesity in the CKD population is not known, especially in terms of the exaggerated metabolic disturbances associated with their coexistence. It is highly likely that these two conditions have profound interactions that exaggerate the severity of the metabolic derangements when they coexist, particularly in regards to adipokine dysregulation, the risk of "insulin resistance", and downstream effects on vascular health. The current proposal will attempt to characterize the relative and combined impact of both obesity and CKD on metabolic disturbances, which may aid in risk stratification and identifying specific targets for intervention. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to understand the relative and combined impact of obesity and CKD on the generation and maintenance of insulin resistance and their impact on cardiovascular health. Specific Aim 2: To study the effects of metformin, an AMPK activator, on metabolic disturbances associated with obesity and moderate CKD. S.A.2.a: To test if metformin will improve LAR in obese patients with moderate CKD compared to placebo. S.A.2.b: To test if metformin will improve markers of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction in obese patients with moderate CKD compared to placebo. S.A.2.c: To test if metformin will improve atherosclerosis markers and reduce clinical CVD events in obese patients with moderate CKD compared to placebo. Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that the administration of metformin in obese CKD patients will significantly improve the adipokine profiles-particularly through a reduction in LAR. Additionally, that it will improve systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial function, which may or may not be mediated by changes in adipokines. Finally, the investigators hypothesize that improvements in these markers of vascular health will translate into reduced arterial stiffness and less clinical CV events

The hypothesis of this study is that the daily consumption of 2 medium-sized pears for twelve weeks will improve blood pressure, lipid profiles, glycemic control and insulin resistance, inflammatory and oxidative status in men and women with metabolic syndrome. 50 men and women between the ages of 45 and 65 who have three of the five features of metabolic syndrome as defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III will be included in the study. After a two-week run-in phase, eligible men and women will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: 1) 2 medium-sized pears; or 2) 50 g placebo powder daily for twelve weeks. After an initial telephone screening, all participants will be requested to report to the study site for their first visit. On the first visit (screening), participants will be provided with verbal and written explanation of the project. They will then be asked to sign an informed consent form, followed by measuring waist circumference, resting brachial blood pressure, fasting serum triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose levels to confirm metabolic syndrome. Baseline assessments will be performed for medical history, medication use, dietary intake, and physical activity. Qualified participants will be scheduled for their second visit two weeks later (actual baseline data collection) and randomly assigned to their treatment group. On the second (baseline) visit between the hours of 6-11 A.M., blood pressure will be measured followed by blood draw and urine collection. Anthropometrics and body composition will be measured. Questionnaires regarding diet, physical activity, and gastrointestinal health will be performed. Participants will be provided with their assigned treatment and will receive standard instructions on how to fill out daily diaries for their treatment. All assessments will be repeated at 6- (third visit), and 12-week (final visit) intervals. All assessments and information will be collected after an overnight fast and 12 hours after the abstinence of caffeine and/or 24 hours after the last bout of moderate to heavy physical activity. After the initial 12 weeks, participants will undergo a 4-week washout period in which they will not consume either the intervention or the placebo. After the 4-week washout period, participants will crossover into the other group to receive either the intervention or placebo.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of non-invasive electrical vestibular nerve stimulation (VeNS), together with a lifestyle modification program, as a method of reducing HbA1c, as compared to a sham control with both study arms incorporating a lifestyle modification program. Allocation: Randomized Endpoint classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment in 1:1 active to control allocation

Testing two different strategies for weight loss intervention and revealing possible changes in composition of gut microbiota, in order to provide more insight in the effect of dietary changes and weight loss treatments on gut microbiome in overweight and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The two strategies are: dietary advice plus myo-inositol and folic acid dietary advice plus liraglutide, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist Primary outcome will be weight loss. Secondary outcomes are longitudinal changes in clinical features associated with PCOS and metabolic syndrome, longitudinal changes in gut microbiome with interventions. Subjects will be treated during 16 weeks and follow-up will take 16 weeks after stop of treatment.

Metabolic Syndrome (MS) contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), CVDs are the leading causes of death in the world. According to epidemiological data from the Ministry of Health, these diseases account for 29.4% of all deaths recorded in Brazil annually. Kefir is obtained by fermenting milk with kefir grains and has been recommended as a therapeutic form for the treatment of various clinical conditions. The hypothesis of the present study is that the daily intake of fermented beverages with kefir grains may reduce the risk factors associated with MS, thus reducing the incidence of CVD. A clinical trial was conducted with 48 volunteers, who presented at least three criteria for the diagnosis of MS. The subjects were divided into two groups that received for eleven weeks fermented dairy drink with kefir (KG) grains or homemade curd (CG). Weight and height measurements were taken to calculate BMI. The body composition evaluation was performed by determining the percentage of body fat and waist circumference (WC). The measurements of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were taken. Blood samples were analyzed for fasting glycemia, glycated hemoglobin (HA1c), total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol, triglycerides (Tg), C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Creatinophosphokinase (CPK), γ-Glutamyl Transferase (γ-GT), Urea Nitrogen, Urea and Creatinine. The level of non-HDL cholesterol (n-HDL) was determined by calculation. The Framingham score was used to assess the risk of developing cardiovascular events over the next ten years. Eleven weeks into the experiment, all measurements of body evaluation, SBP and DBP and biochemical analysis of blood were reevaluated.

Obesity is recognized as a pro-inflammatory condition associated with multiple chronic diseases, including asthma. The specific mechanisms linking asthma and obesity remain hypothetical. Our primary hypothesis is that inflammatory SNPs may regulate the degree of the inflammatory response, with obesity modifying the severity of the disease. In this instance, asthma that develops in the context of obesity demonstrates the potential deleterious relationship between a specific proinflammatory state (obesity) and the genetic regulators of inflammation (SNPs). Our secondary hypothesis proposes that short-term (12-weeks) weight loss by diet alone, but not exercise alone, will reduce lung specific inflammation and diminish the pro-inflammatory responses in female African American obese adolescents with asthma compared to a waiting list control group who after their initial 12 weeks then receive a combined 12-week diet plus exercise program (waiting list control/combined). A third exploratory hypothesis proposes that the frequency of identified SNPs will be significantly related to the amount of fat loss through diet, exercise or combined program and will further be mediated by specific airway and, pro-and-anti-inflammatory markers.These hypotheses will be tested using the following Specific Aims: To determine the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms and SNP haplotypes in pro- and anti-inflammatory genes in female African American obese and non-obese asthmatic and non-asthmatic adolescents, 13-19 years or age. To examine the effects of diet or exercise on lung specific inflammation (exhaled nitric oxide, [eNO]) and pro-and-anti-inflammatory responses in female African-American obese asthmatic and non-asthmatic adolescents compared to a waiting list control/ combined group. In addition we will examine the following Exploratory Aim: To determine the effects of the inflammatory SNPs in the modulation of several inflammatory markers and lung specific inflammation (eNO) in female African-American obese asthmatic and non-asthmatic adolescents before and after weight loss through diet, exercise or both.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase I clinical study of the safety and tolerability of increasing doses of Treamid after single and repeated oral administration in healthy volunteers. The volunteers received the study drug once, and then continued daily intake for 14 days after a 6-day break. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability profile of Treamid after single and multiple administration based on the frequency and severity of adverse events and changes in vital signs, laboratory results, electrocardiography and results of the physical examination. The secondary objective of the study was to assess pharmacokinetics of active pharmaceutical substance of Treamid.