Innovative technique used for the first time in diabetes research in Leicester

Researchers at Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) have successfully started using the glucose clamp technique as part of a new diabetes research trial.

The gold-standard technique measures how sensitive a person is to the hormone insulin. In the COMBINE trial, the glucose clamp technique will determine how effective a low-energy diet is in improving insulin sensitivity in a South Asian population.

Dietitian, Frank Arsenyadis, who is funded by the Wellcome Trust (Leicestershire Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Doctoral Training Programme) is leading the COMBINE trial that aims to see whether combining structured exercise and a high protein, low energy diet can minimise muscle loss while attempting to reverse diabetes. The team will also be looking to see if blood sugar control is improved during the 12-week trial.

Dr Gráinne Whelehan, Research Assistant for LDC, explains: “In type 2 diabetes we see high blood sugar levels in the body which is often due to a resistance to insulin. Insulin acts to lower blood sugar concentrations. The glucose clamp technique is a way to accurately measure how resistant the body is to insulin. To do this, we give a fixed rate of insulin to the body and then see how much glucose we need to give the patient to maintain or “clamp” the glucose at a steady level.

"The amount of glucose required to maintain stable blood sugar levels during the insulin infusion will tell us exactly how sensitive that person is to insulin. The more glucose we need to give the participant to keep the glucose stable, the less insulin resistant they are.”

Pratik Choudhary, Professor of Diabetes for Leicester Diabetes Centre, said: “Being able to use innovative techniques like the glucose clamp in our research is instrumental in developing a deeper understanding of how interventions like low energy diets or exercise affect insulin sensitivity and resistance, providing vital insights that will shape the future of diabetes management.”

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) funded COMBINE Trial is still looking for volunteers. Trial participants will be from the South Asian community, living with type 2 diabetes, aged between 40 – 65 years and have a body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 45. For further information, visit: www.leicesterlifestyleresearch.org.uk/studies-blog/combine