Understanding Pine Bark Extract as an Alternative Treatment (UPBEAT) Study

February 19, 2014 updated by: Randall Stafford, Stanford University

Cardiovascular Effects of Pine Bark Extract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of Flavangenol® (Toyo Shinyaku, Japan), a pine bark extract, in lowering blood pressure and improving glycemic control and plasma lipoprotein profile.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the Unites States. Our study tests the efficacy of pine bark extract in improving a number of cardiovascular disease risk factors. We are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel trial that will investigate the efficacy and safety of Flavangenol® (Toyo Shinyaku, Japan), a pine bark extract, among 130 study participants. These participants will be individuals at mildly or moderately elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) because of having prehypertension, excess body weight, and insulin insensitivity. We aim to determine (in order of priority):

  1. The efficacy of Flavangenol in lowering blood pressure.
  2. The efficacy of Flavangenol in improving glycemic control and plasma lipoprotein profile.
  3. Changes in body weight, antioxidative capacity, anti-inflammatory markers, blood coagulation factors, and liver function tests in response to Flavangenol.
  4. The safety of Flavangenol, as confirmation of past studies.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
130

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Stanford, California, United States, 94305
        • Stanford University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Systolic blood pressure between 125 and 159 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 100 mmHg
  • Body mass index (BMI) 25.0-34.9
  • Triglycerides (TG) < 450 mg/dL
  • Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) < 200 mg/dL
  • Fasting blood glucose (FBG) < 126 mg/dL

Exclusion Criteria:

  • DBP > 95 mmHg
  • LDL > 170 mg/dL
  • TG > 300 mg/dL
  • FBG > 110 mg/dL

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Placebo delivered as four tablets matching the active product once daily orally.
Drug: Pine Bark Extract (Flavangenol®)

Flavangenol 200 mg per day. Flavangenol is a brand of pine bark extract manufactured by Toyo Shinyaku of Saga, Japan.

Dosage delivered as four tablets, each containing 50 mg Flavangenol, all 4 tablets taken once per day orally for 12 weeks.

Other Names:
  • Pycnogenol (differing formulation)
Active Comparator: Pine Bark Extract
Flavangenol 200 mg Flavangenol is a brand of Pine Bark Extract manufactured by Toyo Shinyaku of Saga, Japan. Dosage delivered as four tablets, each containing 50 mg Flavangenol, all 4 tablets taken once per day.
Drug: Pine Bark Extract (Flavangenol®)

Flavangenol 200 mg per day. Flavangenol is a brand of pine bark extract manufactured by Toyo Shinyaku of Saga, Japan.

Dosage delivered as four tablets, each containing 50 mg Flavangenol, all 4 tablets taken once per day orally for 12 weeks.

Other Names:
  • Pycnogenol (differing formulation)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Combined Change in Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressures From Baseline to Week 12.
Time Frame: three months
Mean at Week 12 observation minus mean at Baseline observation.
three months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Total Cholesterol
Time Frame: 3 months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
3 months
LDL
Time Frame: 3 months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
3 months
HDL
Time Frame: 3 months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
3 months
Triglycerides
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
three months
LDL Particle Size
Time Frame: 3 months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
3 months
HDL Particle Size
Time Frame: 3 months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
3 months
Lipoprotein A
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up). Calculated as (Pinebark_Followup - Pinebark_Baseline) - (Placebo_Follow-up - Placebo_Baseline)
three months
C-reactive Protein
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
three months
Body Mass Index
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
three months
Weight
Time Frame: 3 months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
3 months
Fasting Blood Glucose
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
three months
Fasting Insulin
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
three months
Hemoglobin A1c
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
three months
ALT/SGPT
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
three months
AST/SGOT
Time Frame: three months
Net change in secondary outcomes from Baseline to 12 Weeks (Follow-up).
three months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Stanford University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Funded by Toyo Shinyaku Co Ltd

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Randall S. Stafford MD, PhD, Stanford University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 1, 2008

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 1, 2008

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 23, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 23, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 24, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 2, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 19, 2014

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 37698

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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