Asian Indian Prediabetes Study

Summary

Compared to other races, Indians have higher insulin resistance, poorer pancreatic function and a greater risk of developing diabetes, highlighting the importance of early strategies for improving insulin sensitivity and improving pancreatic function in Indians to prevent diabetes and lower the risk of heart disease.

A low carbohydrate diet can deplete fat from undesirable places, such as fat around organs in the abdominal cavity. In this study, we will determine if restriction of dietary carbohydrates will deplete fat in the pancreas and liver, and improve insulin sensitivity and early insulin secretion in Indians. These changes may prevent diabetes from developing. Hepatic and pancreatic fat will be measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Insulin sensitivity and secretion will be measured during an oral glucose tolerance test. In addition, this study will investigate if the higher insulin resistance in Indians is due to genes that cause the inability to store fat in the legs.

The results on the type of diet that is more effective for reducing pancreatic and hepatic fat is important for informing dietary guidelines on the use of low carbohydrate diets for diabetes prevention, particularly in Indians who have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Conditions

• Pre Diabetes

Interventions

OTHER

Lifestyle (Diet and Exercise)

The LG diet will comprise 20% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 50% fat (\<10% saturated fat). It will have a low glycaemic load; include plant and animal protein; non-starchy vegetables and salad greens; and some low-sugar fruit. Participants will be encouraged to incorporate a variety of foods rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in their diet. The control diet will comprise 50% carbohydrate, 20% protein and 30% total fat (\<10% saturated fat). It will reflect the Health Promotion Board's (HPB) recommendations to reduce dietary fat, emphasize wholegrains and include a variety of fruits and vegetables. In contrast to the LG diet, the control diet will have a higher glycaemic load with a greater proportion of energy derived from unrefined carbohydrate foods. Concurrent to the dietary intervention and consistent with physical activity guidelines, all participants will undertake a 60-min structured exercise program incorporating aerobic/ resistance exercises 3-4 days/week.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Medical Research Foundation (NMRC) Singapore

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Almond Board of California

  collaborator OTHER

• Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP), Singapore

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jeannie Tay, PhD · Institute for Human Development and Potential (IHDP), Singapore

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Max Age

50 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-10-19

Primary Completion

2023-01-27

Completion

2023-02-01

Countries

• Singapore

Study Locations