Clinical Research Directory

Dietary Interventions to Reduce Ultra-Processed Food Intake

The DISRUPT clinical trial will test two different 2-month programs to help adults with overweight/obesity (N=60) reduce their intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Participants will be randomly assigned to receive standard dietary change strategies, cognitive dissonance strategies that engage them in activism against the UPF industry, or both. All participants will attend an introductory educational workshop about UPFs. If they are assigned to receive one or more of these strategies, they will attend weekly group sessions with the relevant intervention content for 7 more weeks. Groups will be held virtually.

A Neuropsychobiological Approach to Optimize Patient Selection for GLP-1-based Pharmacotherapy for Weight Management Across the Binge Eating Spectrum

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate how GLP-1 receptor analogs, such as semaglutide (Wegovy®), influence processes that determine eating behavior, binge eating, and weight regulation via the gut-brain axis. The main question it aims to answer is: to identify for whom semaglutide works best. Participants will: * undergo a semaglutide treatment for 6 months * visit the clinic for 2-4 study checkup and tests * wear a smartwatch and complete questionnaires on their smartphone

Effect of Mazdutide on Coronary Plaque in Patients With Coronary Atherosclerosis and Overweight or Obesity

This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of mazdutide, a dual GLP-1/GCG receptor agonist, on coronary plaque progression assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in patients with coronary atherosclerosis and overweight or obesity. The primary endpoint is the change in total non-calcified plaque volume (NCPV) from baseline to week 52. Secondary endpoints include changes in pericoronary adipose tissue inflammation (fat attenuation index, FAI), plaque composition, metabolic parameters, inflammatory biomarkers, and clinical outcomes. A substudy will include 18F-NaF PET/CT imaging.

A Food-Effect Study of CX11 in Healthy Participants

This study is to evaluate the food effect (FE) on the PK of 200 mg CX11 in healthy participants

ENDOBARIHEART STUDY

The primary outcome of this study is to evaluate changes in cardiovascular risk after endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) in patients at high cardiovascular risk, using the SCORE2 ( Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation 2) and SCORE2-OP ( Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation 2 Older Persons) risk scores, which estimate the risk of having a cardiovascular event.

MASLD in Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care - a Follow-up Study

The goal of this observational study is to understand how metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) changes over time in individuals with type 2 diabetes who previously participated in the EPSONIP study. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. How common are MASLD and advanced liver fibrosis at long-term follow-up? 2. Which factors are associated with progression or regression of liver fat accumulation and liver fibrosis over time? Participants will: * Undergo a clinical examination and review of medical history. * Provide blood, urine, and biobank samples. * Undergo liver assessment using vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). * Undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess liver fat, liver fibrosis, and body composition. * Complete questionnaires regarding lifestyle and physical activity. * Undergo physical activity measurements using accelerometers and additional assessments related to blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Effects of Different Fish Oil Types on Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors in High-Risk Adults

The purpose of this clinical trial is to find out whether one type of fish oil works better than another at improving metabolic health in people who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Some metabolic problems-such as difficulty controlling blood sugar, unhealthy particles that transport cholesterol in the blood, and poor fat tissue function-can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. This study aims to determine whether different types of fish oil can: 1. Improve how well the body produces insulin and responds to it, 2. Improve the quality of the particles that carry "bad" cholesterol in the blood, and 3) Improve the health and function of participants' fat tissue. To answer these questions, researchers will compare the effects of two types of fish oil: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These will be compared with corn oil, which is used as a placebo and does not contain EPA or DHA. When included in this study, participants will: A) Take softgel capsules containing EPA, DHA, or placebo (corn oil) every day for 12 weeks, B) Keep a daily log to record when they take their study softgels, and C) Visit the research unit six times, including one and a half days before and after the intervention, to complete specialized metabolic tests that are mostly only available in research settings.

Ultrasonographic Evaluation and Pedobarographic Correlation of Lower Extremity Muscles in Lipedema Patients

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the lower extremity muscle structure, lower extremity alignment, and foot posture in lipedema; secondly, to reveal the chain relationship and biomechanical problems that may be observed in lipedema patients. Lipedema is a condition characterized by abnormal fat accumulation that can lead to walking difficulties and joint problems. We will use ultrasonography to measure muscle thickness and tendon structures, and a pedobarography system to analyze foot pressure distribution during standing and walking. By comparing 50 women diagnosed lipedema with 50 healthy volunteers, we aim to identify the musculoskeletal causes of gait disorders in lipedema to help develop better prevention and treatment strategies

Visceral Adipose Tissue and Liver Changes Associated With Semaglutide in CKD

Obesity is considered a global pandemic and is associated with various diseases and metabolic complications, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, cholesterol disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease. Obesity can affect the kidneys in two main ways: indirectly, through mechanisms related to diabetes mellitus and/or high blood pressure, and directly, through complex proteins called "adipokines," which are produced by adipocytes. Many of these adipokines are secreted by adipocytes under normal conditions, as they contribute to maintaining immune defenses and energy production. However, in obesity these adipokines acquire harmful properties and produce chronic inflammation in vital organs, such as the heart, blood vessels, the pancreas, and the kidney, leading to a deterioration in liver and kidney function. New drugs such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1Ras / Semaglutide), are not only effective to regulate blood sugar levels, but they produce weight loss improving kidney and liver function. However, little is known about their specific effect on the adipose tissue. Therefore, studies focusing on how these drugs work in fat could help us understand how diseased adipose tissue can affect patients with heart, liver, and kidney disease. Investigators are asking patients who attend the diabetes clinics associated with the University of Alberta to join the study.

Effects of Posterior Gastropexy During Sleeve Gastrectomy on Quality of Life

This randomized controlled trial evaluates the clinical outcomes and quality of life in patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy with or without posterior gastropexy. The primary objective is to assess the effectiveness of posterior gastropexy in reducing postoperative reflux and improving overall patient satisfaction, with a 12-month follow-up period.

Comparing Different Medication Regimens to Maintaining Weight Loss Among Adults With Obesity Using GLP-1s

The purpose of this research is to compare weight loss among 3 groups: 1. people who stay on a GLP-1 drug at full strength (Group 1) 2. people who have their dose tapered to every other week, meaning slowly decreasing the dose and frequency of the full prescription you are currently taking (Group 2) 3. people who go off their GLP-1 and instead take an alternative weight loss drug or combination of drugs called phentermine \& topiramate. These are not GLP-1 medications. (Group 3) The investigators want to see if the second and third options are effective at weight loss maintenance. This study will include a total of 60 participants. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three study groups. The goals of this current study are to: 1. determine the acceptability of these proposed treatment strategies, 2. collect data about how people's weight changes early on and throughout the study and how well people tolerate the medications. 3. determine whether it is feasible to recruit for a larger, follow-up study. There are 3 on-site visits: at the start, and then 6 and 12 months. The study team will do monthly phone calls in between those visits. At the on-site visits the study team will do various physical measures and collect blood for lab testing and provide participants with counseling to help with weight loss. The study team will instruct participants in a home-based resistance exercise regimen to help maintain muscle mass. This will include exercises such as: sit-to-stand, mini-squats, calf raises, leg extension, wall press-up, and bicep curls two to three times a week. If these exercises are deemed too easy, participants may choose to do regular pushups, planks, lunges and/or add a resistance band.

Danish Trial of Weight Loss to Reduce Atrial Fibrillation Progression

Obesity is an important risk factor for the development and progression of atrial fibrillation. Sustainable weight loss likely reduces the burden of atrial fibrillation, which has yet to be proven in adequately sized randomised trials. In a national, multicentre randomised trial we will test, whether a sustainable weight loss of more than 10% reduces atrial fibrillation progression and burden in patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or early persistent atrial fibrillation and a body mass index ≥27 kg/m2. A total of 480 patients will be randomised in a 1:1 fashion to either a comprehensive weight loss programme of behavioural support, meal replacement and/or pharmacotherapy with a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist on top of standard care aiming at more than 10% weight loss or standard care alone. Standard care will include guideline-directed anticoagulant therapy for stroke prevention, rate and/or rhythm control treatment, and management of risk factors and underlying cardiovascular conditions. Patients in the standard care group will receive information on weight management, but no active treatment for weight loss. Patients will be enrolled during a period of two and a half years and will be followed for one year with an equal number of study visits in both study arms. All patients will receive a 14-day continuous electrocardiographic monitoring at baseline, four, eight, and 12 months. The study endpoints will be assessed after a 4-months blanking period from month four to 12 to allow for weight loss. The primary endpoint will be a hierarchical composite of atrial fibrillation progression, symptom burden, and treatment escalation. Secondary endpoints will be a change in weight, total atrial fibrillation burden, quality of life, and metabolic and cardiovascular biomarkers from baseline to 12 months. Safety endpoints will be adverse events related to treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and weight loss. Endpoint adjudication will be blinded.

A Study to Evaluate Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of Orally Administered TIX100 in Healthy Subjects

Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study to determine the safety and tolerability of multiple oral doses of TIX100 administered daily for 28 days to otherwise healthy overweight/obese subjects.

Hydration Intervention to Decrease Side Effects Associated With GLP - 1 RA Therapy

This is a 17 - week study consisting of a one - week run - in period and a 16 - week intervention. The 16 - week pilot interventions aims to increase hydration in those beginning GLP - 1 RA therapy. Investigators aim to increase hydration to potentially decrease side effect severity, amount of side effects, and drug discontinuation associated with GLP - 1 RA therapy. The investigators are piloting to assess feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the intervention through examining participant retention, participant feedback, researcher and participant adherence to protocols, impact on hydration biomarkers, and participant reported GLP - 1 RA side effects.

Effect of Omeprazole on Gut Microbiota in Adults With Obesity and GERD

This randomized, open-label, parallel-group study will evaluate the effect of short-term omeprazole therapy on gut and oral microbiota in adults aged 50-65 years with obesity and symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to receive omeprazole 20 mg once daily for 14 days plus standard non-pharmacological recommendations for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or standard non-pharmacological recommendations alone. Clinical and laboratory assessments will be performed at baseline and after 14 days. Stool and saliva samples will be collected to assess gut and oral microbiota, and blood samples will be collected for laboratory biomarkers.

Tirzepatide Versus Positive Airway Pressure for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A Randomised Comparative Effectiveness Trial

When used, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that is mainly caused by overweight and obesity. However, CPAP is plagued by poor adherence and high rates of discontinued use leaving most patients undertreated and at risk of serious health complications. This study aims to test whether new effective weight loss pharmacotherapy is superior to CPAP for alleviating OSA and improving health outcomes.

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.

Augmenting Primary Care-Based Obesity Management With the Nutu™ Digital Health Platform

This study evaluates the acceptability and clinical effectiveness of integrating the Nutu™ digital health platform into a comprehensive primary care-based behavioral obesity treatment program using a Zelen randomized controlled trial design.

Exercise and Tissue-Specific Insulin Sensitivity in South Asian and Nordic Women With Previous Gestational Diabetes

South Asian women have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and the risk is particularly high after gestational diabetes. This study examined whether eight weeks of supervised vigorous exercise improves insulin sensitivity in South Asian women with previous gestational diabetes, and whether the response differs from that of Nordic women with the same history. Participants trained four times per week, with two whole-body resistance sessions and two high-intensity interval cycling sessions. Before and after the intervention, insulin sensitivity was measured with an oral glucose tolerance test combined with stable-isotope tracers, and cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and body composition were assessed. Blood, urine and tissue samples were collected for multi-omics analyses.

NutriTrack: AI-Assisted Nutritional Tracking in the Obesity Clinic

NutriTrack is a digital health application designed to support nutritional and behavioral tracking in patients with obesity followed in an outpatient obesity clinic. The application allows patients to record food intake using food photographs, barcode scanning, or manual search, and to register behavioral variables related to eating episodes. This prospective, single-center, observational pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and usability of NutriTrack in 20 to 50 adult patients with obesity or overweight with comorbidities followed at the Obesity Clinic of Hospital Clínico San Carlos. Participants will use the application for 4 weeks as a complementary tool. The information generated by NutriTrack will be available to healthcare professionals as supportive information and will not replace clinical judgment or modify usual care decisions. The main outcome is usability measured using the System Usability Scale. Secondary and exploratory outcomes include agreement between artificial intelligence-based nutritional estimates and standard dietitian assessment, adherence to daily food logging, professional perceived clinical utility, changes in eating behavior and emotional regulation scales, and technical feasibility of data export.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Fasting Therapy, Ketone Levels, and Metabolic Improvements

This is a retrospective study using existing medical records. The purpose is to learn how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) fasting therapy affects metabolism. The study also examines whether a substance called beta-hydroxybutyrate (βHB), which is produced during fasting, is related to improvements in metabolic health. The researchers will review records of patients who previously received TCM fasting therapy. Patients will be divided into three groups based on how much their βHB levels increased after therapy (low, medium, and high). The study will compare changes in metabolic health measures, such as body weight, BMI, waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood fats, before and after therapy. It will also analyze whether greater increases in βHB are linked to greater improvements in these metabolic measures, while taking into account factors like age, sex, and baseline BMI. This study does not involve any new tests or treatments. It only uses data that already exist in patient records. The findings may help doctors better understand how TCM fasting therapy works and whether βHB could be a useful marker for guiding treatment in the future.

EFFECTS OF DAILY KEFIR CONSUMPTION DURING MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY ON BODY COMPOSITION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN WOMEN WITH OBESITY

This randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of daily kefir consumption as an adjunct to medical nutrition therapy on body composition, biochemical parameters, gastrointestinal symptoms, bowel habits, and psychological well-being in women with obesity. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 200 mL of plain kefir daily together with individualized medical nutrition therapy or individualized medical nutrition therapy alone for 12 weeks. Assessments were performed at baseline, week 6, and week 12. The primary outcome was change in body weight. Secondary outcomes included changes in body composition, biochemical parameters, gastrointestinal symptoms, bowel habits, and psychological well-being.

Concurrent Exercise Effects in Post-Bariatric Patients

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a 5-week concurrent exercise program (aerobic and resistance training) on muscle quality, body composition, functional response, and quality of life in individuals undergoing bariatric surgery. This is a single-center, prospective, longitudinal, randomized controlled clinical trial with two parallel groups: an intervention group and a control group. A total of 87 adults aged 18 to 60 years who have undergone sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and have a medical indication for metabolic rehabilitation will be recruited. The intervention group will participate in a structured, semi-supervised concurrent exercise program for 5 weeks, consisting of two in-person sessions per week (10 sessions in total), whereas the control group will continue receiving usual kinesiology care and standard clinical management according to the institutional rehabilitation protocol at Clínica BUPA Santiago. All participants will be assessed at two time points: baseline, during the fourth postoperative week, and at week 7. The primary outcome will be the change in rectus femoris muscle quality assessed by ultrasound (echo intensity). Secondary outcomes will include body composition (bioelectrical impedance analysis), functional response (One-minute Sit-to-Stand Test), and quality of life (Moorehead-Ardelt II questionnaire). Additionally, adherence to the exercise program in the intervention group will be assessed as the percentage of attendance at supervised exercise sessions, and its association with the magnitude of changes in study outcomes will be explored. The findings are expected to provide clinically relevant evidence regarding the effectiveness of exercise during the early postoperative period and to contribute to the optimization of metabolic rehabilitation strategies following bariatric surgery.

The Effect of Providing Genetic Risk Information on Lifestyle Behaviors in African Americans

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major and persistent health disparity for African Americans. Linking GAINS is a randomized pilot and feasibility study designed to evaluate whether receiving genetic risk information early in a community-based CVD risk reduction intervention improves engagement and health behavior change. Sixty African American adults from the Baton Rouge metropolitan area will be recruited and randomized to a Genetically Unblinded (GU) group or a Genetically Blinded (GB) group. All participants will complete a 14-session behavioral intervention delivered over approximately 16 weeks, including culturally responsive education, nutrition and cooking sessions, physical activity training, group support, and community-based health resources. The GU group will receive genetic results and genetic counseling early in the intervention, while the GB group will receive genetic results and counseling after the behavioral intervention and end-of-study assessment. The primary endpoint is intervention engagement measured by attendance. Secondary outcomes include physical activity, dietary intake, body mass index, blood pressure, genomic orientation/knowledge, and perceived racism. Exploratory/moderator analyses will examine whether social determinants of health, including income, food insecurity, health literacy, occupational prestige, and experiences of racism, influence intervention engagement and behavior change.