Metabolic Syndrome

Researchers are investigating whether a multifactorial lifestyle intervention involving a Mediterranean diet with reduced calories and increased physical activity can help middle-aged adults 30-50 years with metabolic syndrome lose weight and maintain that weight loss over time. The study also aims to understand the social and demographic challenges people face in sticking to these healthy habits and to examine the lifestyle patterns of this group. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will follow general lifestyle recommendations from primary healthcare providers, while the other will receive an intensive program that includes monthly individual and group sessions over 6 months to encourage a Mediterranean diet with 25% fewer calories and physical activity based on WHO guidelines. The goal for the intervention group is to reduce their initial weight by 5-10% within 6 months and maintain this loss after 12 months. Throughout the study, participants will undergo assessments including measurements of weight, waist size, blood sugar, triglycerides, and glycated hemoglobin to monitor changes in their health. Data on demographics, diet, clinical parameters, and laboratory tests will be collected. After the 6-month intervention, a follow-up at 12 months will evaluate how well participants maintain their lifestyle changes. The study emphasizes tracking adherence and identifying factors that help or hinder long-term weight loss maintenance.

Noncommunicable diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease cause more deaths worldwide than any other conditions, with a growing impact especially in low- and middle-income countries. Cardiovascular disease CVD is a leading cause of death globally, and its prevalence is rising despite awareness efforts. Diet and nutrition are important factors influencing these diseases, and this research explores the role of a traditional Chinese medicine nutritional drink in supporting cardiovascular health. The study evaluates the effects of the Perfect Heartio drink, a nutritional supplement made from diluted herbal extracts traditionally used in Chinese medicine. Participants will consume 15 grams of the drink twice daily for 12 weeks while their compliance is monitored. This intervention is being studied to assess its potential in improving heart and blood vessel function by measuring various cardiovascular health indicators. Participants will be assessed at the start and at weeks 4, 8, and 12 for lipid profiles, heart inflammation, heart injury, and heart remodeling. Quality of life and self-perceived health status will also be evaluated over these timepoints. The study includes healthy adults aged 18 and above who agree to follow the intervention plan and attend follow-up visits. Monitoring throughout the study will help researchers understand the drinks impact on cardiovascular health markers over the 12-week period.

Researchers are evaluating an AI-assisted digital health tool called the Smart family doctor to improve control of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia in adults who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting CABG or percutaneous coronary intervention PCI. This study uses a randomized controlled design involving about 536 participants across 5-10 hospitals. Participants must be adults aged 18 or older with a history of CABG or PCI and the specified conditions. Participants in the experimental group will use the AI-assisted Smart family doctor app that provides personalized health education, targeted guidance on managing blood pressure, blood sugar, medication adherence, exercise, and smoking cessation. They will also receive tailored reminders and can report self-measured health data for feedback. Both groups receive weekly 3-hour health management guidance from health managers, and participants will wear a smart band daily for health data collection during the 6-month study period. Throughout the study, participants will be assessed for control rates of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia at 6 months. Additional measures include blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood glucose, physical activity, quality of life, psychological status, and cognitive function. The study monitors health data continuously via smart bands and collects self-reports and clinical assessments to evaluate the interventions impact over the 6 months.

Researchers are evaluating the PILI Aina project to improve the management of common diet-related cardiometabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemias, and obesity among Native Hawaiian adults. This project aims to reduce risk factors for new diet-related illnesses by promoting traditional Native Hawaiian diets and improving social cohesion. The study focuses on adapting and testing an evidence-based multilevel intervention called PILI Aina to optimize its effectiveness and sustainability. The study involves a community-level component called Ai Pono, which includes quarterly hands-on cooking demonstrations and cultural lessons held over five years, for a total of 36 events. Each 2-hour event features cooking demonstrations, tastings, and education about the cultural importance of traditional foods like sweet potato, breadfruit, and kalo. These lessons aim to improve family and community eating environments and social cohesion. Attendance is limited to 30 people per event, with priority given to new participants after the first lesson. Participants will be surveyed at each event to assess their reactions, fruit and vegetable intake, confidence in healthy eating, and feelings of community support. Additionally, random samples of households in participating homesteads will be surveyed annually to measure family environment, nutrition environment, social cohesion, diet self-efficacy, food literacy, and social support. These assessments will occur at baseline and yearly for four years, helping researchers evaluate the impact and sustainability of the intervention over time.

The 100-Year Human Aging Study is a long-term observational research project enrolling adult participants to undergo detailed multi-system health screenings and follow them throughout their lives until death. The study aims to identify which health measurements taken at enrollment and repeatedly over time can predict overall mortality, cause-specific death, serious diseases, and functional disability. It addresses the current lack of validated longevity measures by generating data on how various physiological and cognitive functions relate to aging outcomes. Participants undergo a comprehensive clinical screening that includes tests of cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, mobility, neurocognitive performance, sensory functions, and metabolic health. Structural imaging assessments like DEXA scans, echocardiography, electrocardiography, spirometry, retinal photography, and vascular ultrasound are performed. Laboratory tests and detailed medical, social, and environmental histories are also collected. The study allows participation from single tests up to a full two-visit screening, with repeat testing encouraged to track health changes over time. Throughout the study, participants receive individualized reports with investigational estimates of biological age and predicted mortality risks, which are being evaluated against actual health outcomes. Researchers collect data continuously on mortality, disease occurrence, disability, and health behavior changes. The study involves ongoing follow-up with periodic assessments and aims to preserve all collected data for future analyses, with participant involvement potentially spanning their entire lifespan.

Researchers are evaluating whether taking tirzepatide before bariatric surgery can improve health outcomes for people with obesity and related medical conditions. This study aims to see if tirzepatide reduces inflammation in tissues and blood before surgery and how these changes relate to weight loss, metabolic improvements, and fewer complications after surgery. The trial is a Phase 4 interventional study comparing patients who take tirzepatide with those who do not before their planned surgery. Participants who are assigned to the tirzepatide group will self-inject 2.5 mg of tirzepatide once weekly for three months before surgery, following dose escalation instructions if needed. Both groups will receive education on dietary and lifestyle changes. During the three months before surgery, participants will visit the endocrine clinic monthly for drug prescription and side effect monitoring. The study continues through the surgery and post-surgery follow-up periods. Throughout the study, participants will keep a diary of drug use and side effects, and researchers will measure inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor, leptin, adiponectin, and RAAS at baseline, three months after drug use, and several times after surgery. Weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and surgical complications will also be tracked up to one year after surgery. Participant involvement includes regular clinic visits, lab tests, and monitoring to assess the impact of tirzepatide on surgical outcomes and inflammation.

Researchers are investigating how the overall daily movement patterns of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus T2DM affect their health. This observational study compares 124 adults with T2DM to 124 healthy adults over two years to explore how behaviors like sleep, sedentary time, and different levels of physical activity together influence diabetes-related health markers. The study aims to understand these patterns combined with personal and environmental factors to help design future interventions. Participants will not receive any treatment or intervention as part of this study. Instead, data will be collected at three time points at the start, after one year, and after two years. The study groups include adults diagnosed with T2DM and a control group without diabetes. The focus is on observing and recording movement behaviors and health indicators without altering participants usual lifestyles. During the study, researchers will monitor changes in 24-hour movement behavior patterns and assess various health measures such as blood sugar control HbA1c, cholesterol levels, insulin, glucose, body mass index, waist size, blood pressure, and other metabolic markers. These assessments will be made at baseline, one year, and two years. Participants will be followed closely to track how their daily activity and health evolve over time, helping to inform future health recommendations for people with T2DM.

Researchers are conducting a randomized controlled trial to study the effects of 6 weeks of blood flow restriction BFR training on immune cell function and energy use in adults living with type 2 diabetes. The study aims to understand how this specific exercise approach impacts immune cells and bioenergetics, focusing on adults aged 19 to 64 years who have type 2 diabetes and engage in less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity weekly. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups regular treadmill walking or treadmill walking with blood flow restriction. Both groups will exercise three times per week for 6 weeks, starting with 21 minutes per session in the first week and increasing to 32 minutes per session for the remaining weeks. The treadmill speed and incline will be set to achieve 40-50% of each participants heart rate reserve. For the BFR group, cuffs will be inflated based on personalized limb occlusion pressure, increasing progressively from 60% to 80% over the 6 weeks, with brief cuff deflations every 10 minutes for safety. Throughout the study, participants will undergo assessments before starting and after completing the 6-week intervention to measure changes in various immune markers, including T-cell oxygen consumption rate and several immune cell expressions. Researchers will monitor these immune and bioenergetic outcomes to understand the exercise effects. The entire study participation lasts for 6 weeks during which participants will attend scheduled exercise sessions and evaluation visits.

Researchers are evaluating 7-Ketolithocholic Acid, a naturally occurring bile acid, to assess its potential metabolic benefits, particularly its ability to lower glucose levels in adults with prediabetes. The study aims to determine whether this treatment, combined with a low-glycaemic, calorie-restricted diet and increased physical activity, can reduce fasting plasma glucose and other metabolic markers. This research focuses on early intervention to potentially prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups one receiving 400 mg of 7-Ketolithocholic Acid daily in coated tablet form, and the other receiving matching placebo tablets without the active ingredient. Both groups will follow a low-glycaemic, hypocaloric diet and recommended physical activity including aerobic exercise, resistance training, and flexibility activities. The study includes six visits over approximately 16 weeks, covering screening, enrollment, periodic monitoring, and end-of-treatment assessments. Throughout the study, participants will undergo laboratory tests including fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol levels, and oral glucose tolerance tests. Diaries for diet and physical activity will be maintained and verified at scheduled visits and phone calls. Researchers will monitor adverse events and medication use at each visit. The primary outcome is the change in fasting plasma glucose from baseline to week 12, with additional metabolic and body measurements assessed as secondary outcomes. The study duration per participant spans about four months from screening to end of study.

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of a six-month virtually-delivered dietary education program called PEDALL to prevent overweight and obesity during maintenance chemotherapy in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia ALL. The study focuses on English and Spanish speaking families and considers key genetic and sociodemographic risk factors that may affect weight gain during treatment. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups the PEDALL intervention group or the standard of care SOC group. The PEDALL group will receive 26 contact hours of specialized nutrition education through weekly one-hour virtual sessions over six months. The SOC group will receive printed educational materials and nutritional care according to their institutions usual practices. During the study, participants and their caregivers will engage in nutrition education and counseling sessions. Researchers will assess weight status, body mass index trajectories, lifestyle behaviors, and the influence of genetic and sociodemographic factors over time. The main goal is to prevent unhealthy weight gain during maintenance chemotherapy and improve long-term health outcomes for childhood ALL survivors. The study will last up to 3.5 years for primary outcomes, with additional follow-up extending to four years.