Study on Effects of a Two-Week Very-Low Calorie Diet to Reduce Liver Fat and Improve Liver Protein Function in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating whether reducing liver fat through a very-low calorie diet can restore the normal exercise-induced release of a protein called fibroblast growth factor 21 FGF21 in people with type 2 diabetes. This protein plays a role in improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic health, but its exercise-driven secretion is impaired in those with type 2 diabetes. The trial aims to compare changes in liver fat, body composition, and metabolic markers between those following the diet and those living freely for two weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups one group will follow a very-low calorie diet of about 800 calories per day for two weeks, while the other group will continue their usual lifestyle without intervention. Before and after this two-week period, all participants will undergo assessments including magnetic resonance imaging to measure liver fat, exercise tests to measure FGF21 secretion, and evaluations of cardiometabolic health. Throughout the study, participants will have their liver fat, exercise-induced FGF21 levels, body measurements, and blood markers measured before and after the intervention. The research team will monitor changes in fasting and post-exercise levels of various hormones and metabolites, as well as gene expression related to FGF21 in fat tissue. The study will last about four weeks from baseline to final assessments, including safety and metabolic evaluations to understand the impact of the diet on liver fat and metabolic function.

Depletion of Liver Fat in Type 2 Diabetes