Study of Serum Markers for Cardiovascular Risk in Obese Youth and Impact of Lifestyle and Medication Intervention

NCT00139477 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: 04-032
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 66
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In Protocol #2, we will select 30 obese pubertal and 30 obese prepubertal subjects with an abnormal cytokine profile (i.e. fibrinogen and/or hsCRP concentration greater than or equal to 2 Standard Deviations (SD) above the mean established in our lab for lean controls in Protocol #1). They will be randomly assigned to either lifestyle intervention (diet/exercise) or diet/exercise plus metformin for 6 months. After the 6 month evaluation the subjects will cross over the treatment arms, i.e., those that were doing diet/exercise intervention only will add metformin, those that were doing the diet/exercise plus metformin will discontinue the metformin and continue with diet/exercise changes only. Intrahepatic fat contents will be measured as well. The investigators hypothesize that obese children in these age groups will have increased cardiovascular risk related to their obese state before reaching the currently defined criteria of metabolic syndrome. The investigators hypothesize that these cardiovascular risks can be reduced with lifestyle and drug interventions.

Conditions

Obesity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Change From Baseline in High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (hsCRP) at 6 Months

  Value at 6 months minus value at baseline. HsCRP is an acute phase protein which is a sensitive marker for systemic inflammation. HsCRP concentrations were measured in our laboratory by immuno-nephelometry (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Deerfield IL, USA), with an hsCRP lower sensitivity of 0.156 mg/L.

  Baseline and 6 months

• Change From Baseline in Fibrinogen at 6 Months

  Value at 6 months minus value at baseline. Fibrinogen is a hepatic-derived factor directly involved in clotting and in the viscosity characteristics of blood flow. It binds to platelets and contributes to their aggregation, promotes fibrin formation and is also an acute phase reactant that is increased in inflammatory states. Fibrinogen concentrations were measured in our laboratory by immuno-nephelometry (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Deerfield IL, USA).

  Baseline and 6 months

• Change From Baseline in Interleukin 6 (IL-6) at 6 Months

  Value at 6 months minus value at baseline. IL-6 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine thought to produce a state of low-grade inflammation in obese individuals. IL-6 stimulates hepatic production of C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase protein which is a sensitive marker for systemic inflammation. IL-6 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; R\&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA).

  Baseline and 6 months

• Change From Baseline in Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) at 6 Months

  Value at 6 months minus value at baseline. PAI-1 is the primary physiological inhibitor of fibrinolysis and proteolysis. High PAI-1 levels have been linked to thrombosis and fibrosis, insulin resistance and obesity. PAI-1 was measured by ELISA (American Diagnostica, Stamford, CT, USA).

  Baseline and 6 months

Study Arms (2)

Diet/Exercise only, then Diet/Exercise plus Metformin

EXPERIMENTAL

Diet/Exercise only in first intervention period and Diet/Exercise plus Metformin in second intervention period (no washout period).

Drug: Metformin; Behavioral: Dietary modification with caloric restriction; Behavioral: Establishment of exercise protocol

Diet/Exercise plus Metformin, then Diet/Exercise only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Diet/Exercise plus Metformin in first intervention period and Diet/Exercise only in second intervention period (no washout period).

Drug: Metformin; Behavioral: Dietary modification with caloric restriction; Behavioral: Establishment of exercise protocol

Interventions

Metformin DRUG

Metformin, 250mg by mouth twice a day with meals will be started and if tolerated increased to 500mg twice a day in 3 days in those less than 12 years old and titrated further to 1000mg twice a day if tolerated.

Diet/Exercise only, then Diet/Exercise plus Metformin; Diet/Exercise plus Metformin, then Diet/Exercise only

Dietary modification with caloric restriction BEHAVIORAL

The life style intervention changes will include a hypocaloric diet representing at least a 500 kcal/day reduction based on their dietary histories and Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) determined by the initial calorimetry.

Diet/Exercise only, then Diet/Exercise plus Metformin; Diet/Exercise plus Metformin, then Diet/Exercise only

Establishment of exercise protocol BEHAVIORAL

Participants will attend the Fitness Center 3 times per week and supervised by an exercise technician or exercise specialist. Exercise will be individually prescribed for each participant based on their functional abilities. Exercise will consist of 5-10 minutes for warm up and stretching, followed by 15-30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (i.e. treadmill, bicycle ergometer, rower, nustep, etc), 10-20 minutes of strength training (supervised using weight stack equipment), and 5-10 minutes of cool down and stretching. As children typically do not need an exercise prescription based on heart rate, we will familiarize them with perceived exertion scales and monitor that they are exercising in the moderate to hard range of perception of effort. Participants will be started at 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and 10 minutes of strength training exercise, progressing by 2-3 minutes every week until 30 and 20 minutes is achieved for each respectively.

Diet/Exercise only, then Diet/Exercise plus Metformin; Diet/Exercise plus Metformin, then Diet/Exercise only

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 7 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Ages 7-18 years.
• Greater than the 95th percentile body mass index for their age and gender.
• Children are in Tanner Stage I or IV or V.
• Normal Blood Pressure.
• Normal fasting glucose.
• Normal lipids.
• Menstruating girls must have completed their most recent period at least 2 weeks prior to blood draw.
• No recent illness, no chronic illnesses, no routine medications, no smoking or alcohol intake.
• Must pass the screening test done in Protocol #1.
• Must have higher values than normal for certain blood tests related to heart disease that were measured in Protocol #1.

You may not qualify if:

• Chronic active illnesses.
• Recent illnesses.
• Use of routine medications, vitamins, herbal remedies, oral contraceptive pills, or other over the counter medications within 4 weeks of blood draw.
• History of recent or chronic smoking.
• Currently pregnant.
• Impaired fasting glucose.
• Dyslipidemia.
• Actively in puberty.
• Weight greater than 300 pounds.
• Metal in the abdomen.
• History of being overweight greater than 5 years.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nemours Children's Clinic: lead
• Thrasher Research Fund: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Nemours Children's Clinic

Jacksonville, Florida, 32207, United States

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Mauras N, Delgiorno C, Kollman C, Bird K, Morgan M, Sweeten S, Balagopal P, Damaso L. Obesity without established comorbidities of the metabolic syndrome is associated with a proinflammatory and prothrombotic state, even before the onset of puberty in children. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Mar;95(3):1060-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-1887. Epub 2010 Jan 8.

  PMID: 20061420 RESULT

• Rynders C, Weltman A, Delgiorno C, Balagopal P, Damaso L, Killen K, Mauras N. Lifestyle intervention improves fitness independent of metformin in obese adolescents. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012 May;44(5):786-92. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31823cef5e.

  PMID: 22015710 RESULT

• Mauras N, DelGiorno C, Hossain J, Bird K, Killen K, Merinbaum D, Weltman A, Damaso L, Balagopal P. Metformin use in children with obesity and normal glucose tolerance--effects on cardiovascular markers and intrahepatic fat. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2012;25(1-2):33-40. doi: 10.1515/jpem-2011-0450.

  PMID: 22570948 RESULT

• Benson M, Hossain J, Caulfield MP, Damaso L, Gidding S, Mauras N. Lipoprotein subfractions by ion mobility in lean and obese children. J Pediatr. 2012 Dec;161(6):997-1003. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.05.060. Epub 2012 Jul 20.

  PMID: 22819275 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obesity

Interventions

Metformin; Diet Therapy; Caloric Restriction

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Biguanides; Guanidines; Amidines; Organic Chemicals; Nutrition Therapy; Therapeutics; Energy Intake; Diet; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena

Limitations and Caveats

Protocol #2 attrition was high, such that, we could not derive conclusions beyond the 6 month time period. Therefore, conclusions were based on participants after completing the first intervention without crossover to the second intervention.

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Nelly Mauras, Chief, Division of Endocrinology
• Organization: Nemours Children's Clinic

nmauras@nemours.org

904-697-3674

Study Officials

• Nelly Mauras, MD

  Nemours Children's Clinic

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 29, 2005
• First Posted: August 31, 2005
• Study Start: November 1, 2003
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2009
• Study Completion: September 1, 2011
• Last Updated: April 18, 2023
• Results First Posted: October 11, 2012

Record last verified: 2012-10

Locations

US (1)