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Almonds and Health Effects on Metabolism, Vascular Function and Cognition

Effects of Almond Consumption on Chronic Glucose Regulation, Vascular Function and Cognitive Performance: The AL-INCLUSIVE Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03419702
Enrollment
43
Registered
2018-02-05
Start date
2018-01-10
Completion date
2021-12-03
Last updated
2022-03-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

PreDiabetes, Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Impaired Fasting Glucose, Overweight and Obesity

Brief summary

The primary objective of the proposed study is to examine and understand the impact of long-term almond consumption on chronic glucose metabolism in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting glucose.

Detailed description

Objectives: Secondary objectives are to investigate if improved chronic glucose metabolism in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting glucose after long-term almond consumption translates into improved peripheral and brain vascular function, and enhanced cognitive performance. In addition, the investigators will address to what extent improved chronic glucose metabolism in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting glucose after long-term almond consumption can be explained by (combined) effects of lowered hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation, skeletal muscle characteristics, visceral and subcutaneous fat accumulation, pancreatic function or fecal microbiota composition. Study design: The proposed study will be a 12 months randomised, controlled trial with a cross-over design. Two experimental periods of five months will be separated by a two months washout period. Study population: Forty-three impaired glucose tolerant and/or impaired fasting glucose subjects, with overweight and mild obesity (BMI 25-35 kg/m2), aged 40-70 years. Intervention: During the intervention period of 5 months, subjects will receive daily 50 gr almonds, but not in the 2 months washout and 5 months control periods.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTAlmonds

During the intervention period of 5 months, subjects will receive daily 50 gr almonds. Subjects are free to consume the almonds during the day whenever they want to, i.e. there will not be guidelines when to consume the almonds.

Sponsors

Almond Board of California
CollaboratorOTHER
Maastricht University Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
40 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Aged between 40-70 years * Men and women * BMI between 25-35 kg/m2 (overweight and obese) * Being classified as having impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and/or impaired fasting glucose (IFG). IGT is defined according the criteria of the WHO and American Diabetes Association (ADA) as two-hour glucose concentrations of 7.8 to 11.0 mmol/l (140 to 199 mg per dL) during the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. IFG is defined as having a fasting plasma glucose between 6.1 and 7.0 mmol/l (110 to 125 mg per dL) and a two-hour glucose concentration below 7.8 mmol/l (140 mg per dL). * Serum total cholesterol \< 8.0 mmol/L (further testing is recommended for excessive hyperlipidemia \[serum total cholesterol ≥ 8.0 mmol/L\] according to the Standard for cardiovascular risk management of the Dutch general practitioners community \[NHG\]) * Serum triacylglycerol \< 4.52 mmol/L * No current smoker * No diabetic patients * No familial hypercholesterolemia * No abuse of drugs * Not more than 4 alcoholic consumption per day with a maximum of 21 per week * Stable body weight (weight gain or loss \< 3 kg in the past three months) * No use of medication known to treat blood pressure, lipid or glucose metabolism * No use of an investigational product within another biomedical intervention trial within the previous 1-month * No severe medical conditions that might interfere with the study, such as epilepsy, asthma, kidney failure or renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, auto inflammatory diseases and rheumatoid arthritis * No active cardiovascular disease like congestive heart failure or cardiovascular event, such as an acute myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident * Willingness to give up being a blood donor from 8 weeks before the start of the study, during the study and for 4 weeks after completion of the study * No difficult venipuncture as evidenced during the screening visit * Willing to comply to study protocol during study * Informed consent signed

Exclusion criteria

* Allergy or intolerance to almonds * Serum total cholesterol ≥ 8.0 mmol/L * Serum triacylglycerol ≥ 4.52 mmol/L * Current smoker, or smoking cessation \<12 months * Diabetic patients * Familial hypercholesterolemia * Abuse of drugs * More than 4 alcoholic consumptions per day or 21 per week * Unstable body weight (weight gain or loss \> 3 kg in the past three months) * Use medication known to treat blood pressure, lipid or glucose metabolism * Use of an investigational product within another biomedical intervention trial within the previous 1-month * Severe medical conditions that might interfere with the study, such as epilepsy, asthma, kidney failure or renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, auto inflammatory diseases and rheumatoid arthritis * Active cardiovascular disease like congestive heart failure or cardiovascular event, such as an acute myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident * Not willing to give up being a blood donor from 8 weeks before the start of the study, during the study or for 4 weeks after completion of the study * Not or difficult to venipuncture as evidenced during the screening visit * Use of over-the-counter and prescribed medication or supplements, which may interfere with study measurements to be judged by the principal investigator; * Use of oral antibiotics in 40 days or less prior to the start of the study; * Blood donation in the past 3 months before the start of the study * Not willing to comply to study protocol during study or sign informed consent

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Insulin sensitivityChange from control period (week 22 and week 52)Glucose infusion rate during a hyper-insulinemic euglycemic clamp.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Markers for fasting lipid metabolismThese markers will be measured at week 0, week 5, week 10, week 21, week 22, week 30, week 35, week 40, week 51, week 52Markers for fasting lipid metabolism include serum total cholesterol (mmol/L), HDL cholesterol (mmol/L), and triacylglycerol (mmol/L) concentrations.
LDL cholesterol concentrationsThese markers will be calculated from measurements at week 0, week 5, week 10, week 21, week 22, week 30, week 35, week 40, week 51, week 52Fasting LDL cholesterol concentrations will be determined in blood samples using the Friedewald equation.
C-reactive protein concentrationsCRP will be measured at week 0, week 5, week 10, week 21, week 22, week 30, week 35, week 40, week 51, week 52Concentrations of CRP will be determined in blood samples.
Blood pressureBlood pressure will be measured at week 0, week 5, week 10, week 21, week 22, week 30, week 35, week 40, week 51, week 52Systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Body weightBody weight will be measured at week 0, week 5, week 10, week 21, week 22, week 30, week 35, week 40, week 51, week 52Body weight in kg.
Body circumferencesWaist and hip circumferences will be measured at week 0, week 5, week 10, week 21, week 22, week 30, week 35, week 40, week 51, week 52Waist and hip circumferences.
Pulse Wave AnalysisChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Vascular function (arterial stiffness).
Pulse Wave VelocityChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Vascular function (arterial stiffness).
Retinal microvascular caliberChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Arteriovenous ratio and diameter of retinal arterioles and venules will be measured by retinal microvascular imaging.
Cognitive performanceCognition will be tested at week 0, week 10, week 21, week 30, week 40, week 51.Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery.
Markers for low-grade systemic inflammationChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Markers for low-grade systemic inflammation include IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha and SAA.
Markers for endothelial dysfunctionChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Markers for endothelial dysfunction include sVCAM-1, sICAM-1 and soluble E-selectin.
Markers for postprandial lipid metabolismChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Markers for postprandial lipid metabolism include triacylglycerol (mmol/L) and NEFA concentrations.
Markers for fasting and postprandial glucose and insulin metabolismChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Markers for fasting and postprandial glucose and insulin metabolism include plasma glucose, serum insulin, C-peptide and HbA1c concentrations. Also HOMA-IR will be calculated.
Markers for liver functionChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Markers for liver function include ALAT and ASAT concentrations.
Glucose concentrationsGlucose will be measured at week 0, week 5, week 10, week 21, week 22, week 30, week 35, week 40, week 51, week 52Fasting plasma glucose concentrations will be determined in blood samples.
Markers for advanced glycation endproductsChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Markers for advanced glycation endproducts include dicarbonyl, CML, CEL and MG-H1 concentrations.
Nitric oxides concentrationsChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Concentrations of NOx will be determined in blood samples.
Cerebral blood flowChange from control period (week 22 and week 52)Arterial Spin labeling will be performed to determine cerebral blood flow.
Fat distribution in abdomenChange from control period (week 22 and week 52)Magnetic Resonance Imaging measurements will be included to quantify abdominal fat compartments (i.e. subcutaneous and visceral fat) and fat content of abdominal organs (i.e. liver and pancreas).
Biopsies adipose tissueChange from control period (week 22 and week 52)Fat biopsies to examine fat cell size and inflammation in adipose tissue.
Biopsies muscle tissueChange from control period (week 22 and week 52)Muscle biopsies to examine mitochondrial function.
Lipid oxidationIndirect calorimetry will be performed at week 21, week 22, week 51, week 52 at several time slots.Energy expenditure and substrate metabolism will be calculated from measurements via indirect calorimetry during the postprandial test.
Glucose oxidationIndirect calorimetry will be performed at week 21, week 22, week 51, week 52 at several time slots.Energy expenditure and substrate metabolism will be calculated from measurements via indirect calorimetry during the postprandial test.
Blood pressure profilesChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Blood pressure profiles will be measured for 48 hr via a Mobil-O-Graph.
Glucose profilesChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Glucose profiles will be measured for 48 hr using the FreeStyle Libre Pro.
Physical activity profilesChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Physical activity patterns will be monitored for 48 hr with the MOX device.
Microbiota compositionChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Fecal samples to be used for analysing microbiota composition will be collected.
General well-beingGeneral well-being will be tested at week 0, week 10, week 21, week 30, week 40, week 51.Quality of life and Affect grid questionnaires will be assessed.
Food frequencyFood frequency will be tested at week 0, week 10, week 21, week 30, week 40, week 51.Food frequency questionnaire will be assessed.
Skinfold measurementsChange from control period (week 22 and week 52)Calliper testing for determining body fat composition.
Markers for nerve growthChange from control period (week 21 and week 51)Markers for nerve growth include BDNF concentrations.

Countries

Netherlands

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 11, 2026