Cardiovascular Effects of Rapidly Declining Plasma Glucose in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

April 11, 2024 updated by: Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune metabolic disease characterised by impaired lack of endogenous insulin causing elevated plasma glucose levels and increased risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications. With respect to the cardiovascular system, patients with T1D have an up to 10-fold increased risk of sudden cardiac death compared to healthy individuals. Furthermore, diabetes constitutes a hypercoagulable state, which to some extent may explain why cardiovascular disease still is a major cause of mortality in patients with T1D. Due to treatment with exogenously delivered insulin, glycaemic variability with intra-day and inter-day plasma glucose concentrations fluctuating between high levels (peaks) and low levels (nadirs), are inevitable in patients with T1D. A potentially important factor in development of cardiovascular disease, associated with glycaemic variability, is the rate of increase and/or decline of plasma glucose. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that a rapid plasma glucose decline from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level can induce changes in QT-interval and blood coagulation in a proarrhythmogenic and prothrombotic way.

Twenty patients with T1D with a 1:1 distribution with chronic hyperglycaemia (HbA1C ≥63 mmol/mol) and with well-controlled diabetes (HbA1C ≤53 mmol/mol) will be recruited for a crossover study including two test days (protocols), P-rapid, a combined hyperglycaemic and euglycaemic clamp with rapidly declining plasma glucose and P-slow, a combined hyperglycaemic and euglycaemic clamp with slowly declining plasma glucose. Patients will be randomised 1:1 to start with P-rapid or P-slow. The cardiovascular effects will be investigated using Holter-ECG, Thrombelastography, Echocardiography and blood sampling.

Given that cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death in patients with T1D and that patients with diabetes may be more susceptible for cardiac arrhythmias and thrombotic events compared to healthy individuals, it is important to identify cardiovascular risk factors related to acute changes in plasma glucose in order to improve prevention strategies and therapy.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

20

Phase

  • 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

      • Copenhagen, Denmark, 2900
        • Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen - Gentofte Hospital

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion criteria - chronic hyperglycaemia cohort

  • Informed and written consent
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Age ≥18 years
  • C-peptide negative (<0.2 nmol/l)
  • Insulin treatment for ≥1 year
  • HbA1C ≥63 mmol/mol

Inclusion criteria - well-controlled cohort

  • Informed and written consent
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Age ≥18 years
  • C-peptide negative (<0.2nmol/l)
  • Insulin treatment for ≥1 year
  • HbA1C ≤53 mmol/mol

Exclusion criteria - both cohorts

  • Arrhythmia diagnosed prior to or at the time of the screening visit
  • ECG with left or right bundle branch block diagnosed prior to the screening visit.
  • Implantable cardioverter defibrillator or pacemaker at the time of inclusion
  • Heart failure diagnosed prior to the screening visit (left ventricular ejection fraction < 45%)
  • Structural heart disease (Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, congenital heart disease, severe valve disease)
  • Thyroid dysfunction (except for well-regulated myxoedema)
  • Anaemia (male: haemoglobin <8.0 mmol/l; female: haemoglobin <7.0 mmol/l)
  • Treatment with anticoagulant or antiplatelet treatment
  • Bleeding disorder diagnosed prior to the screening visit

Withdrawal criteria

• The participants may withdraw at will at any time

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: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cardiovascular effects of rapidly declining plasma glucose
A combined hyperglycaemic and euglycaemic clamp with a rapidly declining plasma glucose (>0.15 mmol/l/min). Plasma glucose will be measured every 5 minute and cardiovascular effects of the plasma glucose decline rate will be assessed using Holter-ECG, echocardiography, thrombelastography and blood sampling.
Acute plasma glucose decline, divided into the following three phases: 1) Hyperglycaemic phase (plasma glucose 15 mmol/l), 2) Rapid plasma glucose decline phase and 3) Euglycaemic phase (plasma glucose 4.5-5.5 mmol/l).
Experimental: Cardiovascular effects of slowly declining plasma glucose
A combined hyperglycaemic and euglycaemic clamp with slowly declining plasma glucose (<0.085 mmol/l/min). A combined hyperglycaemic and euglycaemic clamp with a slowly declining plasma glucose (>0.15 mmol/l/min). Plasma glucose will be measured every 5 minute and cardiovascular effects of the plasma glucose decline rate will be assessed using Holter-ECG, echocardiography, thrombelastography and blood sampling.
Acute plasma glucose decline, divided into the following three phases: 1) Hyperglycaemic phase (plasma glucose 15 mmol/l), 2) Slow plasma glucose decline phase and 3) Euglycaemic phase (plasma glucose 4.5-5.5 mmol/l).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
QTc interval
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in mean QTc (ms) interval from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level preceded by a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline in patients with T1D with chronic hyperglycaemia and well-controlled diabetes, respectively.
0-255 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cardiac function
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in ventricular systolic function (measured by echocardiography) from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level preceded by a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline in patients with T1D with chronic hyperglycaemia and well-controlled diabetes, respectively.
0-255 minutes
Heart rate variability
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in the sympathetic/parasympathetic balance (measured by heart rate variability) during a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline in patients with T1D with chronic hyperglycaemia and well-controlled diabetes, respectively.
0-255 minutes
Haemostatic balance
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis (measured by TEG) from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level preceded by a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline in patients with T1D with chronic hyperglycaemia and well-controlled diabetes, respectively.
0-255 minutes
Endothelial activation and damage
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in endothelial activation and damage (measured by Syndecan-1, Soluble thrombomodulin and sVE-cadherin) (ng/ml) from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level preceded by a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline in patients with T1D with chronic hyperglycaemia and well-controlled diabetes, respectively.
0-255 minutes
Plasma glucose decline rate and counterregulatory hormonal response
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in counterregulatory hormonal response (plasma glucagon, catecholamines, cortisol, and growth hormone) from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level preceded by a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline in patients with T1D with chronic hyperglycaemia and well-controlled diabetes, respectively.
0-255 minutes
Plasma glucose decline rate and oxidative stress
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in vascular oxidative stress (Tetrahydrobiopterin/dihydrobiopterin ratio, Dehydroascorbic acid/Ascorbic acid ratio, Asymmetric dimethylarginine/Arginine ratio, Malondialdehyde) from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level preceded by a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline in patients with T1D with chronic hyperglycaemia and well-controlled diabetes, respectively.
0-255 minutes
Plasma glucose decline rate and potassium
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in plasma potassium concentration during a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level.
0-255 minutes
Plasma glucose decline rate and symptomatic response
Time Frame: 0-255 minutes
Difference in symptomatic response (Edinburgh hypoglycaemia symptom scale) from a hyperglycaemic level to an euglycaemic level preceded by a rapid plasma glucose decline compared to a slow plasma glucose decline in patients with T1D with chronic hyperglycaemia and well-controlled diabetes, respectively.
0-255 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Collaborators

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 (Actual)

June 1, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 16, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 4, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 12, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

March 16, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 12, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 11, 2024

Last Verified

May 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • H-20033627

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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