300,000+ clinical trials. Find the right one.

123 active trials for Overweight

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Major Depressive Disorder With High Inflammation: A Personalized Approach

This project aims to evaluate whether a dose-response relationship exists between dose of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), delivered as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and change in markers of inflammation, and whether these effects differ from placebo. A key secondary aim is to evaluate the antidepressant effectiveness of EPA in overweight adult outpatients with current major depressive disorder (MDD). To address these aims, the project will use a four-arm, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled design comparing placebo versus three doses of EPA (1 gm/day, 2 gm/day, or 4 gm/day) administered over 12 weeks. The study is to be conducted at two sites: Emory University School of Medicine, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Eligible participants will be between the ages of 18-80 who have current MDD, are overweight, and who demonstrate peripheral inflammation, defined as an high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level ? 3 mg/L. The primary outcome will be change in plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and/or mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-?) expression levels in EPA- versus placebo-treated participants. The results of this investigation are intended to be used to design and power a larger definitive test of the efficacy and biological effects of EPA in patients with major depressive disorder.

Start: December 2015
Examining the Longitudinal Relationship Between Sleep and Weight Gain in College Students

This two-year prospective, observational study examines the relationship between habitual short sleep and weight gain, as well as the association between habitual short sleep and behaviors that put people at risk of weight gain. Habitual short sleep is defined as sleeping <6 hours per night on average. Participants will be healthy freshmen college students who are normal weight or overweight. Exclusion criteria include pregnancy, an inability to be ambulatory, currently taking a medication that could influence or interfere with sleep, or reporting a past/current neurological problem, past/current head injury, past/current sleep disorder, current mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder, current psychosis, or current suicidal ideation/plans. Recruitment will be during new student orientations that occur prior to fall semester. Eligibility will be determined using a screening interview, the DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure - Adult, and DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 2 measures. Eligible participants will be assessed at baseline (time 1), and 8, 16, and 24 months after Time 1. Sleep, physical activity, food/beverages, substance use, and technology use will be collected daily during each eight day recording period. Sleep will be measured with a sleep monitor, activity will be assessed using an accelerometer, food/beverages will be obtained using the National Cancer Institute's Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool, and substance use and technology use will be measured via self-report. Participants will attend a session after each recording period to have weight and height measured, be scanned via Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and complete a packet of questionnaires about demographics, health, sleep quality and beliefs, life events, food cravings, and physical development. It is hypothesized that participants will have different habitual sleep trajectories over time. It is also hypothesized that two particular sleep trajectories (stable habitual short sleep and increasingly shorter habitual sleep across time) will be significantly related to weight gain, increased body fat percent, and weight gain risk behaviors (i.e., increased caloric intake and decreased physical activity). Finally, it is hypothesized that the two sleep trajectories will be significantly associated with higher rates of media and technology use and higher rates of problematic sleep-related beliefs/behaviors.

Start: June 2017
Demonstration of the Prebiotic-like Effects of Camu-camu Consumption Against Obesity-related Disorders in Humans

Previous work of the investigators demonstrated the anti-obesity and anti-steatosis potential of the Amazonian fruit camu-camu (CC) in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity [1]. It was demonstrated that the prebiotic role of CC was directly linked to higher energy expenditure stimulated by the fruit since fecal transplantation from CC-treated mice to germ-free mice was sufficient to reproduce the effects. The full protection against hepatic steatosis observed in CC-treated mice is of particular importance since nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease. Thirty percent of adults in developed countries have excess fat accumulation in the liver, and this figure can be as high as 80% in obese subjects. NAFLD is an umbrella term encompassing simple steatosis, as well as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis which can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in up to 20% of cases. Up to now, except for lifestyle changes, no effective drug treatment are available. Previous work has suggested that CC possesses anti-inflammatory properties and could acutely reduce blood pressure and glycemia after a single intake. While CC could represent a promising treatment for obesity and fatty liver, no studies have thoroughly tested this potential in humans. Therefore, a robust clinical proof of concept study is needed to provide convincing evidence for a microbiome-based therapeutic strategy to counteract obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. The mechanism of action of CC could involve bile acid (BA) metabolism. BA are produced in the liver and metabolized in the intestine by the gut microbiota. Conversely, they can modulate gut microbial composition. BA and particularly, primary BA, are powerful regulators of metabolism. Indeed, mice treated orally with the primary BA ?, ? muricholic (?MCA, ?MCA) and cholic acids (CA) were protected from diet-induced obesity and hepatic lipid accumulation. Interestingly, the investigators reported that administration of CC to mice increased the levels of ?MCA, ?MCA and CA. Primary BA are predominantly secreted conjugated to amino acids and that deconjugation rely on the microbial enzymatic machinery of gut commensals. The increased presence of the deconjugated primary BA in CC-treated mice indicate that a cluster of microbes selected by CC influence the BA pool composition. These data therefore point to an Interplay between BA and gut microbiota mediating the health effects of CC. Polyphenols and in particular procyanidins and ellagitannins in CC can also be responsible for the modulation of BA that can impact on the gut microbiota. Indeed, it has been reported that ellagitannins containing food like walnuts modulate secondary BA in humans whereas procyanidins can interact with farnesoid X receptors and alter BA recirculation to reduce hypertriglyceridemia. These effects are likely mediated by the remodeling of the microbiota by the polyphenols. In accordance with the hypothesis that the ultimate effect of CC is directly linked to a modification of the microbiota, fecal transplantation from CC-treated mice to germ-free mice was sufficient to recapitulate the lower weight gain and the higher energy expenditure seen in donor mice.

Start: October 2020
Community Outreach - Obesity Prevention Trial (CO-OPT)

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of a community health worker-based program as an adjunct to clinical services regarding childhood obesity management. This family-centered program will be delivered in the community and homes of enrolled families. The primary outcome will compare change in age-gender specific body-mass-index (BMI) z-score (zBMI) over time. All Denver Health children and families will be enrolled at study inception and receive the intervention in 1 of 5 defined 6-month stepped wedge engagements. The intervention lasts for 6 months and the time prior to engagement in the intervention will serve as the control period. Intervention construct validity will be evaluated using data on diet, activity, and fitness. The primary goal is to examine the effect of the intervention in reducing the zBMI in the index patient and secondarily on any participating family members. We will test effectiveness among demographic groups under-represented in prior studies, including very young children and Latinos. Results from this study will inform future intervention modifications and permit effect size estimation and power calculations for future randomized trials that include a community health worker-based obesity prevention and treatment program. During the course of the study, an obesity registry will be designed and implemented within an integrated safety-net healthcare system to measure primary obesity outcomes in a low-income population and conduct analyses. The community health worker will be using several new technologies (e.g., text messaging and patient relationship manager [PRM]) as an adjunct when working with an obese child and his/her family. Targeted training for clients, providers and CHW will be part of the prevention strategies implemented during the grant period, these will include motivational interviewing. All of these (i.e., obesity registry, technologies and training) will have an evaluative component.

Start: March 2012