Environmental Toxicants Avoidance Study (NPETA-GD)

Bastyr University

Status: Suspended

Conditions: Pollution; Exposure; Glycemic Control; Glucose Intolerance

Treatments: Behavioral: Avoidance Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04821752

20-1672

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is designed to test whether non-persistent environmental chemicals (PECs) are elevated in people with glucose dysregulation. The primary aim is to measure whether this toxicant burden can be reduced using a dietary and lifestyle modification intervention. The secondary aim is to observe any changes in glucose response pre and post-intervention.

Full description

The primary aim will be measured using a commercially-available screening test for urinary toxicant metabolites. The toxicant burden will be measured by a percentile score of each metabolite and summing all percentile values. A risk level of each metabolite will be normalized by the percentile score in order to calculate the total toxic burden for an individual. Wilcoxon-ranked sum non-parametric calculations will be used to evaluate whether pre and post-intervention reduction has occurred. Because this is a single-arm trial, any reduction in the toxicant burden will be correlated with the relative improvement of the secondary endpoint and will be measured using Kendall's tau-beta ranked correlation.

The secondary aim will assess each participant's fasting and post-prandial glucose response measured daily for throughout the 3-week trial. Because this study is not powered, the estimated man reduction from baseline cannot be estimated. Any reduction in blood glucose mean values will allow us to calculate an effect size for future investigation. The ranking of the improvement in glucose response (AUC) will be tested by ranking the reduction of the toxic burden by a correlation analysis using Kendall's tau-beta ranked correlation described above.

Each participant is provided with a baseline in-person assessment, one midpoint education session and a final assessment session. Each participant will receive a standardized packet of information regarding dietary and lifestyle interventions which reduce toxicant exposures along with a water filter for home use and gift card to support the purchase of organic food during the trial. Questionnaires including a Medical Symptom Questionnaire, Weekly Stress Inventory and Knowledge Attitudes and Behavior Questionnaire will be administered pre and post-intervention.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 100 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 18 years old or older
2. Able to complete the remote informed consent process.
3. Glucose dysregulation with HbA1c >= 5.7% at baseline
4. If hemoglobin A1c (HgA1c) is greater than 6.5% and the potential participant is not already receiving standard care for diabetes from a physician, participants must see their primary care provider for diabetes standard care before enrollment in the study.
5. Those not already eating a majority organic-food diet and drinking filtered water (>50% by self-disclosure)

Exclusion Criteria

1. Use of insulin or insulin analog medications
2. Planning to have elective surgery, diagnostic procedures, dental, or cosmetic procedures during the study period
3. Unable or unwilling to modify dietary and lifestyle behaviors
4. Those already eating a majority organic-food diet and drinking filtered water (>50% by self-disclosure)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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20 participants in 1 patient group

Toxicant avoidance and glucose dysregulation

Experimental group

Description:

To investigate whether or not the excretion of urinary toxicant metabolites is reduced by dietary modification and lifestyle intervention in people with glucose dysregulation; whether the participant's ranked glucose dysregulation correlates with the amount and/or type of toxic metabolites excreted at baseline; and whether the body's immediate response to glucose is improved by the reduction of toxicant burden.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Avoidance Education