Clinical trials

We will recruit 20 severely obese participants at Metamor Institute. Participants with obesity who are eligible for MBS will be randomized to either CGM group or self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) group before the surgery based on a 1:1 ratio. All participants live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The surgeon in Metamor will introduce our study to the patients. If the patients are interested, the evaluation process includes verifying basic personal information, assessing health status and medical history, and evaluating specific eligibility criteria relevant to the study. The study coordinator will be discussing informed consent, ensuring participants understand the study's purpose, procedures, and any associated risks or benefits. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, ensuring clarity and comfort with the study. All collected data is documented and securely stored, respecting data privacy protocols. Eligible individuals are informed about the screening visit, while those not suitable are considered for future studies.

Objectives The objective of this project is to generate pilot data substantiating our hypothesis that advanced body composition measurement tools will provide more accurate and clinically relevant data on the outcomes of metabolic surgery (MS) in patients with severe obesity compared to traditional methods. To achieve this objective, the investigators propose the following aims: Aim 1: Evaluate the effectiveness of different body composition measurement tools in assessing outcomes in patients with severe obesity undergoing MS. Aim 2: Assess the changes in body composition and muscle strength following MS. Aim 3: Compare body compositions changes between SG and RYGB patients.

This study will test the validity and feasibility of an smartwatch-based system to detect eating and drinking events in both laboratory and free-living conditions.

The regulation of human body weight and fatness is not fully understood. Although some models of regulation have been proposed (set point, dual-intervention point, others), no studies have been designed to test their predictions. In this pilot and feasibility study, the investigators will implement an experimental approach to test the predictions of models of body weight regulation in humans. Men and women with either low body weight or obesity will be exposed to a 2-day fasting followed by a 2-day ad-libitum refeeding. During the entire fasting-refeeding period, energy intake and expenditure will be accurately measured within metabolic chambers. The investigators will therefore determine the compensatory responses to fasting elicited to prevent weight loss. The results will serve to design and power future studies to better understand body weight regulation.

This research will evaluate energy metabolism (expenditure and fat oxidation), metabolic flexibility (response to a high-fat test meal) in 10 individuals with a BMI ≥60 kgm2 using gold-standard assessments of energy metabolism, metabolic flexibility, and body composition. Males and females (18-80 y) with extreme obesity (BMI: ≥60 kg/m2) will be recruited from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Exclusion criteria include major organ failure, uncontrolled endocrine disease, severe psychiatric illness, pregnancy, and inability to comply with study procedures. The total duration of participation for each individual is estimated at approximately 10 days. If qualified, participants (BMI≥60 kg/m2; n=10) will complete one outpatient visit and one inpatient visit with 36hr metabolic chamber testing.

The GRAMS study objectives are to assess the musculoskeletal changes that occur after weight loss using GLP-1 based therapy. A lifestyle intervention with diet and exercise is included to assess any mitigating effects are provided, versus a control group with regular exercise and diet.

The goal of this randomized controlled two-arm trial is to determine the effect of a diet and exercise intervention for 12 weeks on body composition, muscle function, and energy balance in 80 adults aged 50 years and over with obesity and insulin resistance. The main questions the trial aims to answer are: Will 12 weeks of a structured nutrition plan + exercise reduce fat mass, improve muscle function, and increase energy deficit compared to the usual diet + exercise. The hypothesis is that 12 weeks of a structured nutrition plan + exercise will reduce fat mass, improve muscle function, and produce greater energy deficit than the usual diet + exercise. Participants will be provided with all meals for 12 weeks and will exercise at the Center under supervision three times each week. Pre and post-intervention, body composition, physical function, and energy deficit will be measured.

The goal of this study is to learn whether eating a small serving of almonds before meals can improve blood sugar control in adults who have early signs of problems with blood sugar regulation. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does eating almonds before a meal reduce the rise in blood sugar after eating? 2. Do some people consistently benefit more than others from eating almonds before meals?

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for iron are based on a relatively small number of studies in European populations. This research study will determine iron needs in a representative sample of adults living in the US using the iron isotope dilution technique. Following administration and equilibration of a stable iron isotope, participants will be followed for a 12 week study period. Blood will be collected every 4 weeks and the isotopic composition will be determined. Results will help update dietary iron guidelines making sure they better match the specific needs of the US population.

Declines in iron status are common in those with obesity and may be due to obesity-related chronic inflammation; however, the effects of reducing inflammation following diet-induced weight loss on iron metabolism are poorly understood. Low environmental oxygen exposure increases dietary iron absorption and availability to supply iron for erythropoiesis but has not yet been tested in the context of weight loss. This study is designed to investigate diet-induced weight loss (inflammation reduction) and overnight low oxygen exposure (erythropoiesis stimulating agent) as strategies to improve dietary iron absorption in obesity.

The goal of this observational survey pilot study is to learn how 3D visualization tools (i.e., personalized avatars) influence weight loss goals, satisfaction, confidence, and commitment compared to numerical weight outcomes in weight loss-seeking adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. What are contemporary weight loss goals (defined as dream, happy, acceptable, and disappointing weight loss outcomes), and how do they compare to goals reported in prior studies? 2. Does presenting weight loss outcomes using personalized 3D avatars result in different levels of satisfaction compared to presenting equivalent outcomes numerically as body weight? 3. Do predictive 3D avatars affect participants' confidence and commitment to achieving weight loss differentially than numerical weight loss goals? Researchers will compare visual (3D avatar-based) weight loss outcomes to numerical (pounds lost) weight loss outcomes to see if visual presentation lowers satisfaction with potential weight loss and alters confidence and commitment. Participants will: * Complete a one-time online survey * Provide demographic and self-reported anthropometric information to generate personalized 3D avatars * Report weight loss goals and rate satisfaction with potential weight loss outcomes shown numerically and as 3D avatars. * Complete questionnaires assessing psychological and behavioral weight-related factors.

Adipose, or fat, tissue is a plastic organ that retains the ability to expand and store excess calories during positive energy balance in humans. The capacity of subcutaneous (subQ) adipose tissue to expand and remodel is an important determinant of obesity-related health complications, and impaired expansion of subQ fat tissue is thought to contribute to the risk of diseases such as the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The objectives of the study are to evaluate the changes and mechanisms of (subQ) adipose tissue expandability that occur as a result of short-term weight gain and to investigate the effects on cardio-metabolic health outcomes. Findings from this study will provide new insight into the dynamics of adipose expansion and remodeling during changes in energy balance and how this may impact future fat tissue function and metabolic health.

The purpose of this study is to measure energy expenditure during the first 3 months of life in infants.

Short sleep duration confers high cardiovascular and metabolic risk, but lifestyle factors and molecular mechanisms that contribute to increased blood pressure and poor glucose control during short sleep are not completely understood. Habitual short sleepers are constantly eating, the proposed studies will evaluate if this behavior contributes to heightened cardiovascular and metabolic risk. The study will evaluate if restricted eating duration (8 hours/day) could improve cardiovascular and metabolic health in habitual short sleepers.

The purpose of this research study is to understand how breath is related to nutritional status. The procedures involved in this study include blood and breath sampling, questionnaires about health history, medications, nutritional status and diet, and a physical examination. Breath markers will be compared between individuals with and without malnutrition and be compared to indicators of malnutrition. Some individuals will undergo an interventional study involving 2 days of consuming study beverages and fasting along with providing additional breath samples to see if the breath changes in response to short-term changes in nutritional status.

The aim of this study is to develop a dataset with reference body composition measurements using criterion methods. This dataset will be used to develop new protocols to study patients with cancer. Obtaining measurements of sodium bromide (NaBr), deuterium dilution (D2O), and D3-Creatine in a stratified sample of adults will determine the accuracy (and precision) of the available devices for ECW, TBW, and skeletal muscle mass measurements.

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if a weekly delivery of insulin at short intervals lasting up to 2 hours can improve insulin sensitivity and cognition in adults with Alzheimer's Disease. It will also provide information about the safety and feasibility of this intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the intervention improve insulin sensitivity (how the body uses glucose)? Does the intervention improve cognition, measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC)? What changes occur in brain glucose uptake (FDG-PET)? Participants will: Receive the intervention once a week for 6 months, with each session lasting up to 2 hours Complete cognitive assessments. Adverse events will be assessed throughout the study.

The goal of this study is to examine the impact of a diet high in fresh lean pork, compared to a plant-based diet, on cardiovascular function and vasomotor symptoms in perimenopausal women with overweight and obesity. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. How does a diet high in pork, compared to a plant-based diet, affects blood lipids, endothelial function, and blood pressure? 2. How does a diet high in pork, compared to a plant-based diet, affects blood nitrate, cardiometabolic biomarkers, inflammatory biomarkers, and vasomotor symptoms? Researchers will compare the diet high in pork to a plant-based diet to see if pork helps improve cardiovascular and mesopause symptoms. Participants will: * Consume both of the diets, each for 4 weeks, with a washout period between 2 and 6 weeks in between the diets trials * Visit the clinic 5 times with weekly meal pick ups during the diet trials * Undergo testing procedures including: weight and body composition, blood pressure and pulse, endothelial function using ultrasound of upper arm, microvascular blood flow, blood draws, physical activity measurements, and questionnaires.

The primary objective of the proposed study is to complete a comprehensive needs assessment of the Louisiana National Guard (LANG) Youth Challenge Program (YCP) in the YCP leadership and junior cadet population related to nutrition, fitness, sleep, and mental health and resilience. Results of this needs assessment will further inform the development of the intervention skills training program. The secondary objective of this work is to provide a scalable, integrated physical and mental optimization training program that would be integrated into relevant systems and maintained over time as a core tool for young individuals readying themselves to join the Army. The program would include an environmental intervention approach as well as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress reduction/positive coping guidance.

The Military Health and Nutrition Examination Study (MHANES) is a Department of Defense funded study conducted by Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. This cross-sectional study will assess, in a large, diverse sample of Army Service Members (n=600), food and supplement intake, cardiovascular health, body composition, biomarkers of nutritional status, measures of health status, injury prevalence, mental wellbeing, gut microbiome composition, and physical performance outcomes. The proposed study is modeled after the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and customized for the Army population.

The purpose of this research study is to understand how infants metabolize different meals and to develop clinical tools which identify infants as having two different phenotypes. The phenotypes are the 1) metabolic "thriftiness" and 2) the metabolic flexibility.

The purpose of this study is to develop a cohort of volunteers that can be studied and followed up into the future for changes in health behaviors and development of health problems.

The objective of this study is to assess the effects of Hass Avocados on glycemic control. The investigators hypothesize that Hass Avocado consumption will reduce fasting blood sugar compared to an isocaloric amount of other fruit during controlled feeding.

Hypoglycemic complications are a major impediment to the maintenance of healthy glucose levels in persons with diabetes. The investigators recently completed a clinical pilot and feasibility study (GLIMPSE, NCT02690168), which identified a novel biomarker, glial acetate metabolism, that appears to predict the susceptibility to hypoglycemia. By providing an assay to predict hypoglycemic events and therefore diabetic complications, the development of this biomarker could significantly improve the treatment of persons with diabetes. The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of our biomarker for predicting susceptibility to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. In order to accomplish this goal the investigatiors will pair our 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy procedure to assess glial acetate metabolism, developed in the GLIMPSE study, with a hyperinsulinemic-hypoglycemic clamp procedure, developed in the HYPOCLAMP study (NCT03839511). The two procedures will be separated by a three day interval. The investigators will then correlate the participants' rates of glial acetate metabolism with their neuroendocrine responses to the hypoglycemic clamp. This proof of concept study will test the hypothesis that glial acetate metabolism is inversely proportional to the neuroendocrine response to hypoglycemia, that is, as glial acetate metabolism increases the neuroendocrine response will decrease.

This is a pilot study in 10 men to test the hypothesis that perturbations in substrate flux and the circulating metabolic and pro-inflammatory milieus during a high-fat diet paradigm will modulate DNA methylation of genes in sperm associated with obesity and cardiometabolic dysfunction.