Obesity clinical trials at University of California Health

56 in progress, 32 open to eligible people

Showing trials for

  • Mobile Health Intervention to Reduce Sweet Beverage Consumption in Latino Children

    open to eligible people ages 12 months to 59 months

    Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is a major contributor to childhood obesity, caries, fatty liver disease, and Type 2 diabetes. Latino children are more likely to consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and to suffer from all of the aforementioned conditions. Reading out loud to children from birth through age 5 is critical for the promotion of language and early literacy skills. Children whose parents read aloud to them are more likely to start school with the skills required for early reading success. This is important as reading proficiency in third grade is the best predictor of high school graduation and career success. Latino children are less likely to be read to than non-Hispanic white children and at higher risk of entering kindergarten without critical early literacy skills. Thus, there is a pressing need for interventions to reduce SSB consumption among Latino children as well as interventions that promote reading out loud. Primary care is an optimal setting for such interventions. However, multiple demands on providers' time make it difficult to rely on in-person interventions. For this reason, it is critical to test intervention designs that do not rely directly on health care providers and that can be delivered remotely if needed. The investigators have developed two m-health interventions for Latino parents, one that promotes optimal beverage consumption patterns and one that promotes reading out loud to children. The purpose of this study is to test the impact of these interventions on child beverage intake patterns and the frequency with which parents read to children.

    at UCSF

  • Primary Care Based Intervention to Prevent Childhood Obesity Among Low-income Latino Children

    open to eligible people ages up to 2 months

    The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of a primary care based intervention to promote optimal feeding, screen time and sleep practices among low-income Latino infants and toddlers. Infants and caregivers will receive brief health education and coaching sessions from health educators at primary care visits in the first two years of life as well as two text messages per week with health information and tips. Half of the participants will receive the Futuros Fuertes 2.0 intervention that includes health coaching and education on infant feeding, screen time and sleep (intervention group). The other half will receive health coaching and education on safety, home management of childhood illnesses, and promotion of language development (control group). We will look at the impact of the Futuros Fuertes 2.0 intervention on child BMI and various health behaviors.

    at UCSF

  • See if an iPhone Weight Management App Can Help Promote Weight Loss in Adolescents and Young Adults After a Stem Cell Transplant

    open to eligible people ages 13-30

    This early phase I trial studies how well a behavioral weight loss intervention consisting of a smartphone application and coaching works for the promotion of weight loss in adolescents and young adults after a stem cell transplant. This study may help researchers learn more about how adolescents and young adults can lose weight and develop healthy eating habits.

    at UCLA

  • Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention Utilizing Mobile Health Technology in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients

    open to eligible people ages 13-30

    Pilot study enrolling obese post HSCT (hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) patients at the hematology/oncology clinic at the Mattel Children's Hospital, University of California, Los Angeles. Parameters include percent over the 95th percentile (%BMIp95), zBMI, fasting metabolic metrics, addictive eating habits, and motivation for change.

    at UCLA

  • Caloric Restriction and Activity to Reduce Chemoresistance in B-ALL

    open to eligible people ages 10-25

    This study is for older children, adolescents, and young adults with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL). Higher amounts of body fat is associated with resistance to chemotherapy in patients with B-ALL. Chemotherapy during the first month causes large gains in body fat in most people, even those who start chemotherapy at a healthy weight. This study is being done to find out if caloric restriction achieved by a personalized nutritional menu and exercise plan during routine chemotherapy can make the patient's ALL more sensitive to chemotherapy and also reduce the amount of body fat gained during treatment. The goals of this study are to help make chemotherapy more effective in treating the patient's leukemia as demonstrated by fewer patients with leukemia minimal residual disease (MRD) while also trying to reduce the amount of body fat that chemotherapy causes the patient to gain in the first month.

    at UCSF

  • Childcare Healthy Beverage Access, Food and Beverage Intake, and Obesity

    open to eligible people ages 2-105

    Interventions that promote water consumption in place of sugar-sweetened beverages have shown promise for preventing childhood obesity in schoolchildren. Yet to date, no studies have examined whether applying this approach in childcare centers could help to prevent childhood obesity at an even earlier stage of development. This cluster-randomized controlled trial will fill gaps by examining how a multilevel childcare-based healthy beverage intervention affects young children's consumption of beverages and obesity.

    at UCSF

  • Diet and Depression

    open to eligible people ages 18-80

    This study is a pilot open label crossover trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of reducing ultra- processed foods (UPF) in a personalized manner from the diets of patients with major depressive disorder who eat a large percentage of UPF.

    at UCSF

  • Dietary Intervention to Improve Kidney Transplant Outcomes

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Randomized controlled trial of a curriculum intervention teaching patients to eat a whole-food plant-based dietary pattern versus standard of care in kidney transplant recipients within the first few months of transplant

    at UC Davis

  • Maridebart Cafraglutide in Adult Participants With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Who Have Obesity or Are Overweight

    open to eligible people ages 18-99

    The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate that maridebart cafraglutide is superior to placebo for percent change in body weight.

    at UC Irvine

  • Auto-EPAP for Management of Upper Airway Obstruction During Non-Invasive Ventilation

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Automatic Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (Auto-EPAP) feature versus manual expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) in the Vivo 45 LS Ventilator.

    at UCSD

  • Families, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Executive Function

    open to eligible people ages 8-12

    The pilot study will be a one group open-label treatment program and will be used to refine a parent-based behavioral treatment enhanced with executive-function training (PBT-EF) for children with comorbid overweight or obesity and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

    at UCSD

  • Family Functioning in Obesity Treatment for Mexican Americans

    open to eligible females ages 18-65

    Mexican American families share similar elevated risks for obesity and obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Because negative family interactions and relationships (e.g., poor communication, high conflict, low emotional closeness) are associated with obesity treatment outcomes, this study tests a behavioral weight management intervention that provides relationship skills counseling to mothers and adult daughters. The goal is to improve family interaction patterns to buffer challenges and strengthen collaboration for eating and physical activity behaviors that support long-term weight management and thus provide an effective obesity treatment approach to address a major public health concern.

    at UCSD

  • Family Intervention to Prevent Childhood Obesity

    open to eligible people ages 2 years and up

    Consumption of sweetened beverages, media-viewing, and physical activity patterns are often established during early childhood, and family-based obesity interventions show effectiveness in shaping healthy behaviors and weight outcomes for young children, including Latino children. Missing from these interventions, however, are methods to increase accessibility and dissemination to multiple family caregivers. The proposed work will use a randomized study design to evaluate the impact a family-based early childhood obesity intervention for Latino families that incorporates evidence-based strategies of in-person childhood obesity interventions, mobile phones, and leverages important determinants of Latino health (e.g. familism, language) in order to decrease ethnic disparities in childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk.

    at UCLA

  • Family, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Families With a Child With Autism

    open to eligible people ages 6-12

    The objective of this proposed study is to collect initial efficacy data on a telehealth parent-based behavioral program for children with autism and overweight or obesity (PBT-A), compared with health education (HE).

    at UCSD

  • Family, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Food Responsiveness

    open to eligible people ages 7-12

    The objective of this proposed study is to compare Regulation of Cues (ROC), Family-Based Treatment (FBT), ROC+ nutrition education and reducing energy intake (ROC+) and a health education comparator (HE) for children with overweight or obesity who are high on food responsiveness (FR).

    at UCSD

  • Feasibility and Colorectal Benefits of Pulses Supplementation

    open to eligible people ages 30-80

    Beans are a forgotten staple food that shows promise in improving health. The goal of this study is to look at how bean supplementation affects metabolic and bowel health. In the long-term, the investigators believe this research will lead to a better understanding of the impact of beans on bowel health. The investigators also hope that this research study will help us understand ways to improve human diet and prevent colon cancer in the future.

    at UC Davis

  • Influence of Honey-flavored Yogurt on Low-grade Inflammation and Gut Health in Middle to Older Aged Women.

    “We are inviting women to participate in a research study to test the health benefits of honey-flavored yogurt!”

    open to eligible females ages 45-65

    A randomized, double-blind, crossover dietary intervention trial will test the effects of 4 weeks of daily honey-flavored yogurt intake on markers of inflammation (Th17 cytokines) and oxidative stress (NOX2, UA, RSNO) and associative changes with microbial derived metabolites (SCFAs, BAs, ellagitannins), metabolism and the fecal microbiome. The above suite of selected markers will capture diet-induced systemic changes in inflammation and oxidative stress, while assessing associated microbial changes.

    at UC Davis

  • Mechanistic and Clinical Outcomes of a Surgical Innovation Aimed at Minimizing GERD Associated With VSG (INNOVATE-VSG)

    open to eligible people ages 18-60

    This is a two-site randomized clinical trial aiming to test whether a modified investigational bariatric surgical procedure can improve gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) after sleeve gastrectomy.

    at UC Irvine UCSD

  • Metabolic and Bio-behavioral Effects of Following Recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

    open to eligible females ages 35-64

    This study, at the Western Human Nutrition Research Center (WHNRC), will focus on whether or not achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight is the most important health promoting recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).The investigators hypothesize that improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors resulting from eating a DGA style diet will be greater in people whose energy intake is restricted to result in weight loss compared to those who maintain their weight. The investigators further propose that during a state of energy restriction, a higher nutrient quality diet such as the DGA style diet pattern, will result in greater improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors compared to a typical American diet (TAD) pattern that tends to be lower nutrient quality (more energy-dense and less nutrient-rich.)

    at UC Davis

  • Metabolic Health Improvement Program: Effects of a Workplace Sugary Beverages Sales Ban and Motivational Counseling

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    The purpose of the study is to test the impact of a multilevel workplace intervention (hospital-wide sales ban on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and individual-level brief counseling) on employee health.

    at UCSF

  • Milk-Tot Study: Impact of Whole Versus Low-fat Milk on Child Health

    open to eligible people ages 23 months to 48 months

    In the U.S. it is recommended that children consume whole cow's milk (3.5% fat) from ages 1 to 2 years to support rapid early growth and brain development, and then at age 2 years transition to low-fat (1%) or non-fat milk to reduce saturated fat and calorie intake. To date, few studies have examined the optimal milk type for children to prevent obesity. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effect of consumption of whole versus 1% milk on child adiposity.

    at UC Davis

  • Optimization of Chrononutrition to Reduce the Risk of Disease in Shift Workers

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    In this randomized controlled trial, the investigators will assess the health impacts of optimizing the timing of dietary consumption in nurses and nursing assistants who work night shifts, have a habitual eating window of 14 hours or more, and elevated weight. Participants will be randomized to one of three groups: (1) dietary monitoring, (2) dietary monitoring plus 10-hour daytime time-restricted eating (TRE), or (3) TRE with a low-glycemic snack during night shifts. The study includes a 2-week screening/baseline health assessment, with follow-up health assessments at 3-, 6- (primary outcome), and 12 months.

    at UCSD

  • Pharmacotherapy in Conjunction With Lifestyle Counseling for Management of Weight Regain After Bariatric Surgery

    open to eligible people ages 18-70

    This is a randomized controlled trial employing a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) design to test whether pharmacotherapy, in conjunction with lifestyle counseling, can reverse weight regain after bariatric surgery.

    at UC Irvine

  • Probiotic Intervention Study

    open to eligible people ages 18-50

    The current standard of care for obesity is the optimal management of comorbid conditions such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia, and counseling on diet, weight loss, or increased physical activity programs. However, lifestyle, diet, and behavioral interventions may provide between 7-10% reduction in initial weight and even fewer with long-term weight loss. In severely obese patients (BMI>40 or BMI>35 with comorbidities), bariatric surgery is also a potential treatment, but there is a high barrier for patients to undergo surgery for weight loss. These barriers include an aversion to major abdominal surgery, long recovery time, potential risk of vitamin deficiency, and risk for abdominal pain. For these reasons, there is a paramount need for other treatments for obesity and for food addiction. The current standard of care for obesity and food addiction is difficult to implement and lacks sustained efficacy. Most struggle to complete treatment, lose minimal weight, lack sustained weight loss, and engage in the well-known "YoYo" diet phenomenon. While bariatric surgery is currently the only effective treatment for obesity, there are several barriers associated with it such as eligibility requirements, invasiveness, difficult recovery, and cost making it not readily available for everyone. Some approved medications that help with obesity, such as orlistat, lorcaserin, or naltrexone-bupropion, have not been widely adopted by providers or patients due to their limited responses and adverse side effects. Probiotic cocktails have shown to be safe with little to no side effects. Preclinical models of probiotics demonstrate the ability to curb obesity in animal models. Therefore, a probiotic that is able to show significant weight loss along with lifestyle modifications would be highly adopted and desirable.

    at UCLA

  • Semaglutide Treatment in the Real-world for Fibrosis Due to NAFLD in Obesity and T2DM

    open to eligible people ages 40-79

    Conduct a community intervention study that will 1) validate a screening approach to identify patients at risk for advanced NAFLD in the obese or T2DM population, and 2) test whether semaglutide treatment is effective for the management of significant fibrosis due to NAFLD in high-risk patients.

    at UCSD

  • Telenutrition for Individuals With SCI

    open to eligible people ages 20 years and up

    This study will provide nutrition counseling via FaceTime on an iPad to persons with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) who are overweight or obese and are at least one-year post-injury. Nutrition counseling may help participants to develop eating behaviors that match the participants' needs and help improve heart health. The purpose of this project is to decrease the risk of complications like obesity, high cholesterol, or diabetes, and explore associations between bowel and bladder function and nutrition. This study will require 3 in person visits that are about 3 months apart. The total length of the study is about 6 months and includes 3 months of telenutrition counseling.

    at UCSF

  • Retatrutide Once Weekly on Cardiovascular Outcomes and Kidney Outcomes in Adults Living With Obesity (TRIUMPH-Outcomes)

    open to eligible people ages 45 years and up

    The main purpose of this study is to determine if retatrutide can significantly lower the incidence of serious heart-related complications or prevent the worsening of kidney function. The trial will enroll adults with body mass index 27 kg/m^2 or higher and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease and/or chronic kidney disease. The study will last for about 5 years. Participants will have up to 27 clinic visits with the study doctor.

    at UCLA

  • Continuous Glucose Monitors in Children and Adolescents With Obesity

    open to eligible people ages 10-21

    To study if continuous glucose monitors are feasible for use in children and adolescents with obesity.

    at UCLA

  • Brown Adipose Tissue Activity in Response to Semaglutide Administered to Obese Subjects.

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Glucagon like peptide (GLP-1) agonists, such as liraglutide, exenatide, and semaglutide, have been increasingly used as a medication to address the current twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity. Their activities include increasing insulin production by pancreatic beta cells, improving insulin sensitivity in muscles and weight loss. The mechanisms underpinning the weight loss caused by GLP-1 agonists have not yet been fully elucidated, but brown adipose tissue (BAT) appears to play an important role. We propose to assess BAT activity, using infrared thermography camera images, before individuals start weekly administration of semaglutide, at week 2-4, and week 18-20. We hypothesize that this GLP-1 agonist, semaglutide, will cause an increase in BAT activity and a corresponding increase in basal metabolic rate.

    at UCLA

  • Ethnic Influences on Stress, Energy Balance and Obesity in Adolescents

    open to eligible females ages 13-17

    The study will examine the mechanisms linking race, stress and biobehavioral factors to energy balance and obesity in both natural and controlled environments in African-American and Caucasian adolescent females. A Hispanic/Latina cohort has recently been added with permission for the sponsor.

    at UC Irvine

  • Inflammation, Diabetes, Ethnicity and Obesity Cohort

    open to eligible people ages 18-75

    Obesity affects over one third of US adults (>72 million, with BMI ≥30 kg/m2), and the proportion of US adults with BMI ≥40 kg/m2 has doubled in the last 20 years. Obesity is associated with increased mortality through its linkage to comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and psychosocial disturbances. Given its prevalence, impact on morbidity and mortality, and economic cost, limiting the spread of obesity and its consequences is one of the most important problems of our time. In this proposed study, investigators will recruit participants from a wide range of body mass index (BMI), ethnicity and Diabetes risk to collect data and blood, stool and adipose tissue samples in the San Francisco bay area.

    at UCSF

  • Metabolic Responses to Bariatric Surgery

    “Using tissue samples to better understand the metabolism and genetics of obesity”

    open to eligible people ages 18-55

    Research the genetic and biomechanical markers of human adipose tissue on patients with morbid obesity. Additional tissue/fluid collection is also gathered during the time of surgery.

    at UC Davis

  • Fenretinide Administered in Subjects With Obesity

    Sorry, currently not accepting new patients, but might later

    Many metabolic complications of obesity are a consequence of abnormal responses of the liver, muscle, and fat to insulin actions. Fenretinide may improve the effects of insulin, preventing metabolic complications.

    at UCSD

  • Olive Oil Polyphenols and Cardiovascular Health Biomarkers

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The purpose of this research is to investigate whether consuming two different kinds of olive oil will change risk factors related to cardiovascular disease, including levels of good and bad cholesterol, levels of inflammation, and levels of gene expression.

    at UC Davis

  • Tirzepatide (LY3298176) on the Reduction on Morbidity and Mortality in Adults With Obesity

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This study will investigate the effect of tirzepatide on the reduction of morbidity and mortality in adults living with obesity and provide additional evidence for the potential clinical benefits of tirzepatide in this population.

    at UC Irvine UCLA

  • ADRB3 Signaling Pathway in Human Adipose Tissue

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This study will examine the gene expression of the adrenergic Beta-3 receptor (ADRB3) regulation in human subcutaneous adipose tissue before and after treatment with mirabegron, an ADRB3 agonist. Gene expression will be compared across two groups, lean and obese participants. There will be a total of three study visits: Screening/Eligibility, Pre-Dose Adipose Tissue Biopsy and Post-Dose Adipose Tissue Biopsy. Participants will be given a single dose of 100mg oral mirabegron on the day of the Post-Dose Adipose Tissue Biopsy.The trial design is a single-center, phase 1, open-label, exploratory study to examine the adipocyte gene expression in adults treated with 1 dose of 100mg oral mirabegron.

    at UCSD

  • Breast Cancer WEight Loss Study (BWEL Study)

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This randomized phase III trial studies whether weight loss in overweight and obese women may prevent breast cancer from coming back (recurrence). Previous studies have found that women who are overweight or obese when their breast cancer is found (diagnosed) have a greater risk of their breast cancer recurring, as compared to women who were thinner when their cancer was diagnosed. This study aims to test whether overweight or obese women who take part in a weight loss program after being diagnosed with breast cancer have a lower rate of cancer recurrence as compared to women who do not take part in the weight loss program. This study will help to show whether weight loss programs should be a part of breast cancer treatment.

    at UC Davis UCSD UCSF

  • Determine How Consumption of Dairy Fat as Cheese Influences Inflammation-Phase 2

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Phase 2 of this study involves determining how consumption of cheese compared with a non-dairy cheese substitute influences inflammation over a six hour period.

    at UC Davis

  • Determine How Consumption of Dairy Fat Fractions Rich in Phospholipids and Proteins Influence Inflammation in the Fed State-Phase 1

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Phase 1 of this study involves determining how consumption of dairy fat fractions rich in milk fat globule membrane influences postprandial inflammation in participants with metabolic syndrome or obesity during a high dietary fat challenge in a six-hour period.

    at UC Davis

  • Dissemination and Implementation of the Bright Bodies Intervention for Childhood Obesity

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the Bright Bodies intervention in improving body mass index (BMI) among 7-13 year-old children with obesity simultaneously with the impact of the implementation strategy on adoption, reach, fidelity, cost, and maintenance of the intervention in three heterogenous settings serving patients disproportionately affected by obesity.

    at UCSF

  • Metformin, a Drug Used to Treat Diabetes, vs Placebo

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Metformin is a drug used to treat patients with diabetes. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Metformin along with a low-calorie diet on obese and/or overweight adults with an increased waist measurement. In addition, the study also aims to look at the effect of the drug vs. placebo on quality of life and physical activity.

    at UCLA

  • Time-restricted Eating on Catecholamine-sensitivity of Adipose Tissue in Obese Adults

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    In a randomized controlled trial, the investigators intend to measure the health impact of time-restricted eating (TRE) in obese patients (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2), who habitually eat for more than 14 hours every day. Patients will be randomly assigned to a control group of behavioral nutritional counseling (standard of care) or the intervention group of behavioral nutrition counseling with the addition of adopting a 10-hour eating window for 12 weeks (TRE).

    at UCSD

  • Negative Affect in Individuals With Binge Eating Episodes

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Binge-eating is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of - typically high calorie - foods, eating much more rapidly than normal and until feeling uncomfortably full, as well as feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or guilty after those episodes. Two eating disorders are characterized by binge-eating as central diagnostic criteria, binge-eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Binge-eating episodes in BN, but not BED, are typically followed by compensatory mechanisms such as self-induced vomiting, and BED is typically associated with obesity, while BN is not. Behavior studies such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) research of affect in an individual's naturalistic environment have shown that negative affect and negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly when distressed) often precede binge-eating. The Investigators want to answer the following questions: Can negative affect in BN and BED be linked to 1) altered dopamine related brain reinforcement learning, 2) to food value computation and cognitive control circuit function, and 3) can dopamine related brain activation predict eating and negative affect, indicating a brain based neurobiological vulnerability. Answering those questions will help to define binge-eating based on regulation of brain reward, cognition, and emotion circuit function and point toward potential psychopharmacological interventions to normalize brain function and behavior.

    at UCSD

  • Family, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Latino Caregivers (FRESH-LC)

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The objective of this proposed study is to collect initial efficacy data on a telehealth family-based behavioral program for Latino children with overweight or obesity, which also includes additional caregiver support (PBT-AC), compared with health education (HE).

    at UCSD

  • Goals for Reaching Optimal Wellness: GROWell

    “We're looking for healthy pregnant people to participate in a mobile health program”

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Despite the negative consequences to maternal-child health from women gaining too much weight during pregnancy, up to 62% of overweight and obese women gain more pregnancy weight than is recommended. This project will establish the efficacy of Goals for Reaching Optimal Wellness (GROWell), an mHealth tool for achieving appropriate pregnancy weight gain and promoting postpartum weight loss among women who enter pregnancy overweight or obese. GROWell will fill a gap in research and clinical care by providing a validated, standalone mHealth tool for weight control during pregnancy and postpartum, which is a currently lacking resource.

    at UC Davis

  • Methylglyoxal (MGO) Lowering Cocktail to Reduce Appetite in Obese Individuals

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    Mechanisms that drive addiction to sugar rich foods are a major driving factor in the pathogenesis of obesity, which has become one of the most significant health care burdens. The molecular underpinnings of these hedonic mechanisms that drive addiction to sugar are poorly understood. The investigators demonstrated that methylglyoxal (MGO) derived Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) enhance food intake especially under a high sugar diet. The investigators identified a methylglyoxal (MGO) lowering cocktail, Gly-low, a combination of alpha-lipoic acid, nicotinamide, thiamine, pyridoxamine, and piperine that demonstrates a multimodal effect influencing many pathways related to aging including calorie restriction. Glycation lowering (Gly-low) treatment significantly reduces food intake and weight gain in the db/db mice that lack the leptin receptor. The investigators also extended the lifespan of C57BL/6 mice fed with these compounds starting when they were 24 months old. Based on these results, the investigators hypothesized that methylglyoxal (MGO) lowering cocktail of compounds can be given to adults with obesity, specified as body mass index (BMI) >27, to lower serum and urinary markers of insulin resistance, lower boy mass index (BMI), and lower food intake.

    at UCSF

  • Extension Study of Setmelanotide

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This is an open-label extension study designed to evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of continued setmelanotide treatment in male and female patients ≥2 years of age who have completed or transitioned from a previous study with setmelanotide for rare genetic, syndromic, or acquired diseases of obesity upstream of the MC4R pathway.

    at UCSD

  • Semaglutide to Reduce Atrial Fibrillation Burden

    Sorry, currently not accepting new patients, but might later

    Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide. AF is associated with obesity and the co-morbidities of obesity, including hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which increase left atrial (LA) size and decrease LA function. Semaglutide, a Glucagon-like peptide receptor 1 agonist (GLP-1 RA), is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss for individuals with and without diabetes. The effects of pharmacologic weight loss with Semaglutide on AF are unknown. The investigators plan on conducting a randomized controlled trial of semaglutide versus placebo in individuals with paroxysmal or early persistent AF (>10% AF burden on ambulatory monitoring, a previous electrical cardioversion, or AF lasting ≥ 7 days but < 3 months who have a body mass index ≥ 27.0 kg/m2. The trial will last for 52 weeks. The primary outcome will be the change in AF burden for 2 weeks, immediately before starting the medication or placebo to two weeks starting at week 50, as determined by an implantable loop recorder or two week ambulatory Additional outcomes will be change in epicardial adipose tissue as determined by chest/abdomen/pelvis computed tomography scan at enrollment and at week 52, change in apnea-hypopnea index from baseline sleep study to week 52 sleep study, change in LA longitudinal strain from baseline echocardiogram to echocardiogram at 52 weeks, and change on symptom surveys.

    at UCSF

  • SMART Pilot Trial of Glycemic Screening Outreach

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    Approximately 130 million Americans have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes (T2D) but remain unscreened and/or unaware of their diagnosis. While prediabetes/T2D screening, also known as glycemic screening, is endorsed in national guidelines, there is almost no research on how to increase screening rates, or evaluations of interventions testing the effectiveness of screening promotion strategies. The American Medical Association has published prediabetes quality measures that apply to UCLA Health as well as all other health systems, specifically tracking the percentage of adult patients with risk factors for T2D due for glycemic screening for whom the screening process was initiated. However, there is no current systemic effort underway at UCLA, or most other health systems, to encourage glycemic screening. We are proposing a pilot trial of the first SMART (Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial) for glycemic screening. Our SMART experiment will provide preliminary feasibility and acceptability data for a larger, multisite trial that will provide vital guidance to optimize screening approaches for a growing number of screening-eligible patients so that they may seek earlier detection, treatment, and/or access to lifestyle programs and interventions for T2D or prediabetes.

    at UCLA

  • Solutions for Hunger and Regulating Eating

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The objective of this proposed study is to collect efficacy data on ROC+ compared to an active comparator (AC) and to Behavioral Weight Loss (BWL) for participants who are high in Food Responsiveness.

    at UCSD

  • Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This TK-MT is an interactive year-long program that teaches culinary skills, nutrition education, mindfulness, and stress reduction, promotes movement, and optimizes behavior change through health coaching strategies. The purpose of this study is to test whether a referral-based teaching kitchen intervention offered for 12 months in adjunct to primary care obesity management is feasible, acceptable, and effective on improving health behaviors and obesity prevention. Specifically, the primary goal of the study is to provide evidence of improved behavior change (ex: increases in cooking at home, fruit and vegetable intake, exercise, sleep, mindful activities), improved lab values (ex: fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.), and resulting change in body weight and waist circumference measures. The hypothesis is that by participating in this novel TK-MT intervention - learning to cook healthy, delicious, inexpensive meals at home; understanding principles of good nutrition (based on the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate); incorporating exercise more effectively into daily living; reducing stress and increasing mindfulness and sleep; and, having access to principles of health coaching - in order to leverage personal motivations - can provide a platform to transform individuals and consequently their health, not only for the duration of this study (16 weeks intensive, 8 months boosters for a total of 12 months) but for their entire lives.

    at UC Irvine UCLA

  • SCULPT-Job Cohort Study

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This is an research study about clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral factors that impact weight loss, weight maintenance, and cardiovascular disease in socially disadvantaged persons.

    at UCSF

  • Test Whether Time-restricted Eating Coupled With a Healthy Diet is Beneficial in Liver Cancer Patients

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    This is a feasibility study that will collect data to assess the potential effect of a nutritional intervention designed to improve liver metabolism. This prospective single-site trial will enroll adult patients undergoing liver-directed therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma. Eligible individuals who are randomized to the intervention group will be enrolled in a six-month nutritional change program consisting of time-restricted eating in which calorie consumption is limited to 8-10 hours during the day, plus targeted healthy changes in what they eat. The intervention includes dietary counseling visits with a study registered dietitian and motivational phone calls with a study Certified Health and Wellness Coach to help subjects adhere to the intervention. Individuals in the control group will be enrolled in a six-month period of observation only. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is a prolonged nightly fast coupled with a healthy diet safe and feasible for patients with liver cancer? Does the intervention improve liver metabolism?

    at UCSD

  • Cognitive Impairment, Obesity, and the Effects of Bariatric Surgery

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    Study is designed to screen psychological cognitive baseline and retention/improvement after weight loss surgery.

    at UC Davis

  • El Sendero: Pathways to Health Study

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    This project will continue to follow two birth cohorts of mother-infant Latino dyads through a series of new assessments at age 6y, with an emphasis on examining the the role early nutritional exposures, exposures to environmental toxins, and social determinants of health have on adiposity, eating behaviors, brain structure and function, cognitive outcomes, and chronic disease risk.

    at UCSD

  • Underlying Mechanisms of Obesity-induced Obstructive Sleep Apnea

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    Obesity is a common risk factor for the development of obstructive sleep apnea. However, not all subjects with obesity develop obstructive sleep apnea. This study will attempt to determine the mechanistic drivers between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea.

    at UCSD

Our lead scientists for Obesity research studies include .

Last updated: