Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes
Conditions
Brief summary
Obesity is epidemic in Australia, and current preventative strategies have had limited success in alleviating this health crisis. While numerous options are available for treatment of obesity, most do not result in sustained weight reduction. Obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, therefore new methods that correct this imbalance are essential for effective long-term treatment. Rodent studies show that brown adipose tissue (BAT) can burn more energy than any other tissue in the body, therefore targeting BAT to increase its activity (energy burning rate) and quantity in humans is potentially a powerful tool for the treatment of obesity and related diseases. BAT has only recently been irrefutably identified in adult humans therefore little is known about how it functions in humans.
Interventions
DRUGPlacebo
DRUGEphedrine, pioglitazone
Sponsors
Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute
The Alfred
Bayside Health
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
19 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Males aged 19 - 35 years * Free of overt coronary disease (on history, medical examination and ECG) * Unmedicated * No major illness * BMI \<27 kg/m2
Exclusion criteria
* Unable to give informed consent * Smokers * Participant in research projects involving ionising radiation within the past 5 years. * Claustrophobia * Fasting plasma glucose \> 6.0 mmol/L
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| brown adipose tissue activity | 3 years | measured via PET-CT |
Countries
Australia
Contacts
Primary ContactMelissa F Formosa, B Sci
Backup ContactAndrew L Carey, PhD
Outcome results
None listed