View clinical trials related to Metabolic Syndrome X.
Filter by:Traditionally, obesity is considered an indirect cause of heart disease. Obese individuals typically present with a number of traditional Framingham risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes), predisposing them to heart attacks and subsequent heart failure. However, an emerging body of basic research revisits a hypothesis that fat is a direct cardiotoxin. Under healthy conditions, most triglyceride is stored in fatty tissue (adipocytes) while the amount of triglyceride stored in non-adipocyte tissues (such as the pancreas, the liver, skeletal muscle, and heart) is minimal and very tightly regulated. When this regulation is disrupted, intracellular triglyceride accumulates excessively in these organs ("steatosis") and has been implicated in activating adverse pathways which culminate in irreversible cell death ("lipotoxicity"), leading to several well-recognized clinical syndromes. These include non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), pancreatic beta-cell failure in type 2 diabetes, and dilated cardiomyopathy. It has been recently observed that angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in addition to lowering blood pressure improve insulin sensitivity and decrease the risk for type 2 diabetes. This study will test the above theory in two study groups: Valsartan vs. Hydrochlorothiazide. We hypothesize that in obese humans with elevated myocardial triglycerides, blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (Valsartan group) will reduce myocardial fat with improvement of insulin sensitivity and heart function.
Study hypothesis: Low dose growth hormone (GH), through its generation of free 'bioavailable' insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, can improve insulin sensitivity and the metabolic profile of subjects with metabolic syndrome. Study aims: The purpose of this study is to determine the mechanism of how low dose GH treatment affects the body's sensitivity to insulin actions and whether this low GH dose can affect the body's handling of steroid hormone levels (cortisol clearance) and fat deposition in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Study design: Subjects that satisfy the criteria of metabolic syndrome (central obesity, treated or untreated high blood pressure, high cholesterol and impaired fasting glucose levels) will be invited to participate in this study. The subjects will be assessed at the initial visit to ascertain their suitability before further participation in the study. If eligible, an equal number of men and women will be randomized (like a flip of a coin) to receive either daily low dose GH or placebo injections first for 12 weeks, before exchanging over for another 12 weeks of treatment after a 4-week washout period. Before, during and after treatment, the subjects will be assessed at frequently with blood tests, scans and fat biopsies. During the study, the subjects will be studied 4 times at the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI). At the first, second and final visit, testing will include scans to measure the amount of whole body fat and fat in the stomach area, muscle, and liver; blood tests to measure levels of cortisol, and fat tissue (taken from a biopsy) analysis to measure the density of insulin-like growth factor-I (a hormone stimulated by growth hormone in the body) in fat; whereas blood tests to examine how well insulin works in the body (insulin sensitivity) will be collected at all visits of the study.
Sirtuin activators may prove useful in treating age-related diseases and extending lifespan in humans. Resveratrol (RSV), a polyphenol found in red wine, has been shown in vitro to enhance SIRT1 activity. RSV is associated with some of the beneficial effects of red wine or the "French Paradox". Recently RSV has been associated with increasing lifespan in mice on a high calorie diet and improved metabolic profile and activity levels. The effect of this small molecule in humans is unknown. Preclinical observations suggest that RSV is safe and has enormous potential in the treatment of obesity and insulin resistance in humans. This pilot study will examine the effect of RSV on improving the metabolic profile of adults with insulin resistance. Specifically, this randomized double blind placebo controlled study will examine the effects of 4 weeks of supplementation with RSV 5.0 grams daily, compared to placebo control (PC) on the metabolic profile of 36 men and women over the age of 50 with insulin resistance (IR) consuming a typical western diet consisting of at least 40% calories from fat.
The purpose of this study is to determine how a decline in physical activity acutely leads to a decrease in insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. The hypothesis is that the loss of insulin sensitivity following physical inactivity is caused by a rapid reduction in skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity.
The metabolic syndrome is a medical condition defined by high levels of cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure, central obesity (gain in fat around the region of the stomach), and insulin resistance (body responds less well to insulin). This state of impaired insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is one of the most common metabolic disorders in the U.S. Numerous studies have shown an inverse relationship between insulin resistance and testosterone levels in men, however, causality has not been established. This protocol investigates the role of testosterone in modulating insulin sensitivity in insulin resistant states such as the metabolic syndrome. The hypothesis is that testosterone administration will improve insulin sensitivity.