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Implications for Treatment of the Metabolic Syndrome

Phase 2
Completed
Conditions
Metabolic Syndrome
Interventions
Drug: placebo
Registration Number
NCT00666029
Lead Sponsor
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Brief Summary

To characterize features of metabolic syndrome in volunteers. To undertake a randomised trial to determine whether treatment with a statin improves muscle microvascular blood flow.

Detailed Description

To characterise features of the metabolic syndrome, including body fat, insulin sensitivity, and liver fat together with muscle micorvascular blood flow.

To undertake a randomised controlled trial of atorvastatin 40 mg. o.d for 6 months to determine whether any of the above measures change with treatment.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
40
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Aged <18 years Aged >75 years Known diabetes; renal, liver, or uncontrolled thyroid disease; uncontrolled hypertension; treatment with lipid-modifying drugs; antihypertensive medication; corticosteroid therapy; or hormone replacement therapy.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
PlaceboplaceboPlacebo arm dummy pill
AtorvastatinatorvastatinActive arm atorvastatin 40 mg. o.d.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Muscle Microvascular Function6 months

Skeletal muscle microvascular function assessed (Filtrass plethysmographic system) using a passive inductive transducer (Compumedics.dwl, Singen, Germany) and a small pressure step venous congestion protocol. Fluid filtration rate (Jv mL min-1 100 mL-1), measured from the slope of limb volume change in response to each pressure step (10 mmHg steps to 60 mmHg around the thigh) over the last 2 minutes of its application, to allow for completion of vascular filling, and plotted against cuff pressure (Pcuff). The slope of this relationship, at pressures above those giving rise to net filtration, is a measure of Kf, microvascular filtration capacity, a function of exchange surface area and permeability. The CV for Kf measurement was 14.5%.

Insulin Sensitivity Index6 months

Insulin sensitivity index was assessed during the final steady state 30 minutes of a high dose hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp (insulin infusion rate 1.5 mIU/kg/min). During this part of the clamp, insulin was infused at 1.5mIU/kg/min and the glucose concentration was maintained at 5 mmol/L using a dextrose infusion. The whole body insulin mediated glucose disposal rate (M value - mg/kg/min) was estimated from the total amount of glucose infused during the last 30 minutes of the clamp. The mean of four serum insulin concentrations was taken during this 30 minutes to determine the steady state insulin concentration (I value - milliunits/litre). M value/I value defined the insulin sensitivity index.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
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