Gastric Emptying (V1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Gastric Emptying in Obesity
IRAS ID
228977
Contact name
I S Farooqi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Obesity and its complications are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and finding better ways to prevent/treat obesity is a major public health concern.
Diet and lifestyle changes have driven the increase in obesity prevalence, but some people gain weight more easily than others. We have shown that genetic factors play a major role in susceptibility and that defects in genes in the leptin-melanocortin pathway cause severe obesity, beginning in early childhood. All the genes identified to date cause hyperphagia (increased drive to eat) and impaired satiety (lack of fullness after eating).
The gastrointestinal tract is essential for regulation of food intake and satiation signals to the brain and other organs involved in energy balance. Functions such as gastric emptying influence food intake and impaired satiety in patients with genetic forms of obesity may be due to accelerated gastric emptying. We propose to measure gastric emptying in patients with genetic forms of obesity and age and weight-matched controls.
Also, GLP-1 analogues, such as Liraglutide, delay gastric emptying and are given as a weight loss treatment. Our patients with genetic forms of obesity may receive a GLP-1 analogue as part of routine clinical care and we consider that it is important to understand the impact of such treatment.
We will use gastric scintigraphy, the “gold standard” for measuring gastric emptying. This has been used by multiple groups worldwide in research and clinical settings. Gastric scintigraphy will be performed in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge. After a 4 hour fast, patients and volunteers are given a standardized radiolabelled meal. Participants will be asked to consume the meal before images are taken at specific intervals for 4 hours following ingestion.
This study will be funded by a personal award from the Wellcome Trust to Professor I S Farooqi (Chief Investigator).REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0260
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion