Targeted Nutritional Interventions to Prevent Diabetes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring Targeted Nutritional Interventions to Prevent Diabetes. The Effect of Weight Loss on Glucose Homeostasis in subjects with isolated-Impaired Fasting Glucose Versus isolated-Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Inulin-Only
IRAS ID
172904
Contact name
Nicola Guess
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Joint Research Office, 5th Floor Lab Block
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
People with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), both subtypes of prediabetes, carry the same risk of developing diabetes. However, weight loss and exercise, which reduce the risk of diabetes in people with IGT, do not appear to be effective in people with IFG. Since about a third of
people with prediabetes have IFG, this could mean there is currently no known method of preventing diabetes in a large number of people. However, a study is required to confirm this overlooked observation, and determine whether targeted prevention is indeed necessary.
We have found that consumption of a simple dietary fermentable carbohydrate called inulin reduces fasting insulin resistance, and also increases early insulin secretion. Since people with IFG have impaired insulin secretion and fasting insulin resistance, inulin may be a targeted, effective method to prevent diabetes in people
with IFG.
We plan a 6-week study with 3 groups: one group will be people with IGT, one group will be people with IFG. Both these groups will go on a low calorie diet. The final group will also have IFG, but they will take the inulin supplement each day and be asked not to lose weight.
We will be recruiting overweight subjects with IFG or IGT which will be determined at a medical screening. Once recruited, all subjects will undergo a baseline study day where frequent blood samples will be taken for 2 hours to measure blood sugars. The two weight loss groups will then start a low-calorie diet to help them lose 7% of their weight over 6 weeks. The IFG weight-stable inulin-only group will take the dietary supplement inulin at a dose of 10g for 2 weeks, 20g for 2 weeks and 30g for 2 weeks. All subjects will return after 6 weeks for a study day identical to the first.REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0989
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion