Clinical Research Directory

HomeStyles-Adults of Chinese Heritage

Individuals of Chinese heritage are the largest and fastest growing segment of the US Asian population. US Chinese have sociodemographic characteristics and culture that differ substantially from other US Asians, and therefore, differ in social determinants of health, health status, and disease risk. US Chinese adults are at increased risk for cardiometabolic disease, related conditions (obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension), and systemic inflammation that promotes disease onset and progression. Immigration to a new country can substantially impact the gut microbiome which may promote systemic inflammation. Pilot interventions indicate a high-fiber diet rich in whole grains reduced inflammation and improved obesity. Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported, evidence-based HomeStyles intervention has demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy in improving lifestyle behaviors and home environments associated with obesity risk in families. A lack of linguistically, culturally tailored interventions to their specific health needs makes it difficult for US Chinese to implement healthy lifestyle behaviors and reduce health risks. Interventions tailored for US Chinese that could attenuate modifiable cardiometabolic risk factors, understand physiological sequelae, and bridge health equity are not currently available. Thus, the overall goal of this project is to test the efficacy of HomeStyles in improving health outcomes in US Chinese. Project aims are to: A) Culturally adapt the HomeStyles intervention through community-engaged approaches. B) Conduct a 10-week, 2-armed Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to test HomeStyles intervention efficacy on health outcomes (dietary intake, physical activity, self-efficacy, HbA1C, waist circumference, and BMI), hypothesizing that participants randomized to the treatment condition will have greater improvements in health outcomes than control comparators. C) Examine associations between intervention participation and gut microbiota/systemic inflammation and test hypotheses that a whole-grain rich diet adopted by those in the intervention group will increase anti-inflammatory gut bacteria, reduce inflammatory gut bacteria, and lower systemic inflammation.

Improving Health Outcomes With Kefir

The purpose of the study is to ascertain whether traditional kefir not only enhances vascular health but also contributes to improved immune outcomes in both male and female participants at higher risk or living with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) after 12 weeks of treatment.

SHADES Mechanistic Trial

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is common, deadly, and costly, and adults with insomnia represent a large group of people at elevated risk of developing CVD in the future. This clinical trial will determine if our updated insomnia treatment, called the SHADES intervention, improves CVD factors thought to explain how insomnia promotes CVD and if these improvements are due to positive changes in sleep factors. A total of 200 primary care patients with insomnia and CVD risk factors will be randomized to 6 months of the SHADES intervention (internet, telephonic, and/or face-to-face cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia) or the active control condition (sleep education/hygiene, symptom monitoring, and primary care for insomnia). Before and after treatment, participants will complete measurements of the CVD factors (systemic inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, metabolic dysregulation, proinflammatory gene expression) and the sleep factors (insomnia symptoms, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency). Researchers will test whether the SHADES intervention produces greater improvements in the CVD factors than the active control condition.

The Effect of Pectin Supplementation on Geriatric With Frailty: A Randomised Placebo-Controlled Dietary Intervention Study

The study involves the intake of Low-methoxy (LM) pectin (polysaccharides extracted from citrus peels), which are commonly found in the UK diet (not pharmacological agents), to test their effects on systematic inflammation in the body and gut microbiome composition. Study subjects will be healthy elderly with early signs of frailty or pre-frailty from the local population and will be asked to attend the laboratory on 2 occasions; before and after 4-week' supplementing the diet daily with either 10g of pectin with 10g of whey protein and 10g of cocoa powder added as flavour (active arm) or 10g of whey protein with 10g of cocoa powder added as flavour (placebo). Participants will be given the blinded products portioned in individual sachets, with instructions to add the contents of one sachet a day to 150ml of milk and to consume immediately. At each study visit (\~90 minutes), participants will be asked to provide a stool and blood sample, will have blood pressure, heart rate, weight, height, and waist/hip ratio measured, research team will perform physical functioning test (Time up and go test, 30-second sit to stand test) as well as participants will complete the quality-of-life questionnaire (SF-36), the Depression and Anxiety (HADS) and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS).

PBM as Strategy to CABG Anemic Patients Bypass Graft (CABG)

Anemia poses risks during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), increasing complications and mortality rates. Blood transfusions in cardiac surgery have negative outcomes, prompting the use of erythropoietin in Patient Blood Management (PBM) to limit transfusion needs and enhance postoperative recovery. EPO can reduce blood component requirements, adverse events, and inflammation in anemic CABG patients. A study aims to minimize transfusions through a PBM anemia treatment protocol for CABG patients, comparing outcomes in three groups: a Control Group (CG), a Non-PBM Group (NPBMG) treated with blood components, and a PBM Group (GPBM) treated with EPO. Parameters include post-op stay, mortality, cardiovascular events, non-cardiovascular events, ICU time, mechanical ventilation duration, vasoactive drug use, inflammatory responses, and cardiac cell death. Analysis will consider demographic and clinical factors, with expectations that GPBM will yield superior results compared to NPBMG and similar or better outcomes than CG.