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Cardiometabolic Disease and Substrate Metabolism

Cardiometabolic Disease, Substrate Metabolism, and Abnormal Placental Pathology: a Multimodal Maternal-Fetal Study

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07565727
Acronym
CAP
Enrollment
50
Registered
2026-05-04
Start date
2025-12-10
Completion date
2027-08-01
Last updated
2026-05-04

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

Conditions

Cardiometabolic Diseases, Gestational Complications, Gestational Diabetes, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Pregnancy, Insulin Resistance, Placental Dysfunction, Preeclampsia, Preeclampsia (PE), Preeclampsia (PE) Risk, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications

Keywords

Cardiometabolic disease, Substrate metabolism, Preeclampsia, Gestational Diabetes, Insulin resistance, HOMA-IR, Lipid oxidation, Placental dysfunction, Chorangiosis

Brief summary

This study's primary purpose is to determine the potential relationship between cardiometabolic disease, specifically insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and maternal lipid oxidation.

Detailed description

Cardiometabolic disease such as pre-eclampsia (PreE) and gestational diabetes (GDM) affect close to 15% of pregnancies and are a major cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Much of the clinical data surrounding these disorders focuses on management during pregnancy and counseling regarding risks of continued cardiometabolic dysfunction after pregnancy. Data are much more limited regarding assessing and managing cardiometabolic dysfunction leading into or early in pregnancy. Furthermore, there are even less data describing metabolic dysfunction outside of GDM and PreE as relate to future cardiometabolic risk. The standard of care of assessing metabolic dysfunction during pregnancy, specifically gestational diabetes, is a two-step glucose challenge approach. Outside of pregnant populations, metabolic dysfunction is assessed from a more holistic approach including assessment of insulin, lactate, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VDRL, cholesterol and free fatty acids. Data are currently lacking on substrate metabolism other than glucose in pregnancy. There are some data that describe maternal lipid metabolism in pregnancy, but most of these data focus on lipid metabolism as it relates to fetal growth and fat mass, but none describe substrate metabolism as it relates to development of maternal disease such as insulin resistance. Additionally, the placenta is an extremely metabolically active organ that responds to changes in maternal stress. There is evidence in animal studies that the placenta can alter transportation of carbohydrates, lipids and amnio acids in response to changes in heat, undernutrition, hypoglycemia and glucocorticoid administration. Traditional hypotheses regarding development of cardiometabolic disease in pregnancy surrounded topics such as abnormal placentation, dysfunctional spiral arteries and hormones such as human placental lactogen. Outside of pregnancy, studies have shown that endothelial dysfunction has been linked to cardiometabolic disease due to its role in regulating vascular tone and glycolysis. Furthermore, there is evidence to support that gestational diabetes is a risk factor for development of endothelial dysfunction; however, in vivo endothelial dysfunction in GDM is not well explored. While there are data that describe endothelial dysfunction in pregnancy as it relates to pre-eclampsia, most studies describe indirect measures of endothelial dysfunction using proteins such as VEGF, PLGF, and SFLT1. The metabolic profiles in pregnant people at risk for cardiometabolic disease has not been explored heavily. By assessing both maternal substrate metabolism as well as placental function and pathology, we hope to better understand disease from the lens of not just the maternal but also the fetal and placental unit. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate the relationship between substrate metabolism of pregnant individuals as it relates to their development of cardiometabolic disease in pregnancy with hopes for more translational research to design better targeted therapies.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 18-45 * Any pre-pregnancy BMI * At least one high risk OR one moderate risk factor for pre-eclampsia based on ACOG and USPSTF guidelines * Willingness to adhere to aspirin therapy * Willingness to undergo 2h OGTT for serum collection in addition to survey collection, indirect calorimetry, body composition measures, neonatal measures, etc. * Gestational age at enrollment \<18 weeks * Ability to speak, read, and communicate via English

Exclusion criteria

* Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus * Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus * Current gestational diabetes mellitus * Current/active platelet disorder or bleeding diathesis (thrombocytopenia of any etiology, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura/ITP, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/TTP, von Willebrand disease, etc.) * Thrombophilia * Current use of NSAID for other indication (indomethacin, ibuprofen, etc.) * Current use of other immune-modulating agents and biologics (hydroxychloroquine, azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, IL-6 inhibitors, etc.) * Current or recent use of steroids * Current use of prophylactic or therapeutic anticoagulation * Medical contraindication to aspirin therapy * Molar pregnancy * Renal disease * Inability or unwillingness to give informed consent * Current psychiatric illness/social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements, as determined by the principal investigators

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Early Pregnancy Fasting Insulin (mIU/mL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting insulin level (mIU/mL) in venous blood
Early Pregnancy Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin ResistanceCalculated from fasting insulin and fasting glucose collected at the start of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageApproximates early pregnancy insulin resistance.
Early Pregnancy Fasting Lipid Oxidation Rate (g/min)Measured at the start of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting lipid oxidation rate measures whole body lipid oxidation, which is assessed using indirect calorimetry
Late Pregnancy Fasting Insulin (mIU/mL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting insulin level (mIU/mL) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin ResistanceCalculated from fasting insulin and fasting glucose collected at the start of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageApproximates late pregnancy insulin resistance.
Late Pregnancy Fasting Lipid Oxidation Rate (g/min)Measured at the start of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageFasting late pregnancy lipid oxidation rate measures whole body lipid oxidation, which is assessed using indirect calorimetry

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Early Pregnancy Fasting Resting Metabolic Rate (kcal/day)Measured at the start of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy resting metabolic rate describes whole body caloric expenditure, which is assessed using indirect calorimetry
Early Pregnancy Fasting Resting Respiratory QuotientMeasured at the start of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy resting respiratory quotient describes whole body caloric expenditure, which is assessed using indirect calorimetry
Early Pregnancy Fasting Carbohydrate Oxidation Rate (g/min)Measured at the start of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting carbohydrate oxidation rate measures whole body carbohydrate oxidation, which is assessed using indirect calorimetry
Early Pregnancy Fasting Glucose (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting glucose level (mg/dL) in venous blood
Early Pregnancy Fasting Lactate (mmol/L)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting lactate level (mmol/L) in venous blood
Early Pregnancy Fasting Triglycerides (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting triglycerides level (mg/dL) in venous blood
Early Pregnancy Fasting High Density Lipoprotein (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting high density lipoprotein level (HDL) (mg/dL) in venous blood
Early Pregnancy Fasting Very Low Density Lipoprotein (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting very low density lipoprotein level (VLDL) (mg/dL) in venous blood
Early Pregnancy Fasting Low Density Lipoprotein (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting low density lipoprotein level (LDL) (mg/dL) in venous blood
Early Pregnancy Fasting Cholesterol (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting cholesterol level (mg/dL) in venous blood
Early Pregnancy Fasting Free Fatty Acids (mEq/L)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 12-18 weeks gestational ageEarly pregnancy fasting free fatty acids (FFA) (mEq/L) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Fasting Resting Metabolic Rate (kcal/day)Measured at the start of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy resting metabolic rate describes whole body caloric expenditure, which is assessed using indirect calorimetry
Late Pregnancy Fasting Resting Respiratory QuotientMeasured at the start of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy resting respiratory quotient describes whole body caloric expenditure, which is assessed using indirect calorimetry
Late Pregnancy Fasting Carbohydrate Oxidation Rate (g/min)Measured at the start of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting carbohydrate oxidation rate measures whole body carbohydrate oxidation, which is assessed using indirect calorimetry
Late Pregnancy Fasting Glucose (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting glucose level (mg/dL) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Fasting Lactate (mmol/L)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting lactate level (mmol/L) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Fasting Triglycerides (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting triglycerides level (mg/dL) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Fasting High Density Lipoprotein (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting high density lipoprotein level (HDL) (mg/dL) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Fasting Very Low Density Lipoprotein (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting very low density lipoprotein level (VLDL) (mg/dL) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Fasting Low Density Lipoprotein (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting low density lipoprotein level (LDL) (mg/dL) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Fasting Cholesterol (mg/dL)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting cholesterol level (mg/dL) in venous blood
Late Pregnancy Fasting Free Fatty Acids (mEq/L)Fasting, at the beginning of a single study visit between 26-30 weeks gestational ageLate pregnancy fasting free fatty acids (FFA) (mEq/L) in venous blood

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTJill M Maples, PhD
jmaples1@utmck.edu865-305-9367
CONTACTHana O El-Messidi, BS
hel1@utmck.edu865-305-5592

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 5, 2026