Integrating the Genetic and Metabolic Faces of Obesity
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2012-10-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The goal of this study is to determine why some obese individuals develop insulin resistance
and others do not. We hypothesize that an impairment in differentiation of fat cells
(adipocytes) is responsible for the development of insulin resistance in select obese
individuals. This study will evaluate obese individuals at baseline with respect to
characteristics of adipocytes, including gene expression, and will then entail randomizing
subjects to either weight loss or treatment with an insulin sensitizing drug (pioglitazone).
Changes in insulin resistance will be associated with changes in adipocyte morphology and
gene expression.