Skip to content

The Effect of a Ketone Drink on Liver Glucose Production in People With Type 2 Diabetes

The Effect of a Ketone Drink on Liver Glucose Production in People With Type 2 Diabetes

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05518448
Acronym
KES2
Enrollment
10
Registered
2022-08-26
Start date
2022-05-03
Completion date
2023-11-01
Last updated
2024-05-21

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

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus, Ketosis

Keywords

Diabetes, Exogenous ketones, Postprandial glycemia, Endogenous glucose production

Brief summary

What is the effect of a ketone drink on liver glucose production, and postprandial glycemia, in people with type 2 diabetes.

Detailed description

Background: Ketones are molecules that are naturally produced by our body during fasting or diets low in carbohydrates. Ketones can affect how our liver produces and maintains our body's blood sugar levels, which could be important in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D), where high blood sugar levels are partly because of excess sugar production by the liver. Objectives: To determine if, and how, a ketone drink can lower blood glucose in people with T2D following a meal. Methods: Twelve people with T2D will visit our laboratory in the morning on two occasions and ingest a drink containing ketones or placebo on each visit in a random order before ingesting a milkshake style drink containing sugar. Blood samples will then be taken at regular intervals over 4 hours to determine if the ketone drink has lowered blood sugar levels in response to the meal, and if this was due to reduced sugar production by the liver. Value: This research will provide new knowledge about the regulation of liver blood sugar production in response to ketone ingestion. This may also inform future clinical trials to establish if ketone drinks could be used as a treatment for T2D.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTKetone - beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB)

Ketone - beta-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB)

Sponsors

University of British Columbia
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Exeter
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Masking description

Double-blind

Intervention model description

Ketone vs placebo crossover

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 69 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by a physician, a current HbA1c of 6.5-8.5%, and receiving treatment with lifestyle advice or oral glucose-lowering medications. * Non-smoking * Blood pressure \<160/100 mm/Hg

Exclusion criteria

* Exogenous insulin or SGLT2 inhibitors for type 2 diabetes treatment. * Following a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet, periodic fasting diet, or consuming ketogenic supplements. * Other diagnosed chronic metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, or gastrointestinal disease. * Smoker * Blood pressure \>160/100 mm/Hg * Lactose intolerant

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
EGP6 hoursEndogenous glucose production

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Postprandial glycemia4 hoursPostprandial glucose concentrations
Insulin6 hoursSerum insulin concentration
Plasma β-OHB6 hoursPlasma β-OHB concentrations

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 6, 2026