Use of Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopes to Improve Dietary Assessment for Cardiovascular Disease (I-CAN)

January 22, 2026 updated by: Cheryl A. Anderson, MPH, PhD, University of California, San Diego
In this research study, the investigators will use a novel approach to measure what people eat. The goal is to find out whether stable isotopes that can be measured in blood, hair, and fingernails are better at measuring what people eat than the surveys that are currently used. To meet the goal, the investigators will do three things. First, the investigators will feed study participants known amounts of foods and nutrients. Second, after study participants have eaten the food, the investigators will measure stable isotopes in samples of study participants' blood, hair, and fingernails. Third, the investigators will determine how well these samples reflect what was eaten. The investigators will also give surveys to study participants to determine how well the surveys reflect what was eaten. This will allow the investigators to do a relative comparison of the measurements from isotopes and surveys.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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Withdrawn

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

This is a controlled feeding study in which the relative validity of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio analysis as a biomarker of dietary intake is compared to controlled feedings and multiple 24-hour recalls. Participants will be randomly assigned to a sequence of diets to be fed on four occasions. Participants will undergo 24 hours of controlled feeding on four non-consecutive days over a month-long period. On the day after feeding, participants will complete 24-hour dietary recalls, and provide blood, hair, and fingernail samples for isotope ratio analyses. The investigators will use a crossover design and the diets will be either high or low in C4 plants (i.e., corn and cane products). A 24-hour urine collection will be done at home during each 24-hour feeding period. Participants will have height and weight measured at the screening visit. Weight will also be measured at each study visit. Additionally, data will be collected via questionnaires administered at each study visit.

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

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • San Diego, California, United States, 92093
        • University of California, San Diego

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

21 years to 74 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • men and women;
  • aged 21 and 74 years;
  • no history of chronic disease and in general good health;
  • able to provide primary study outcome; and
  • willing to tolerate study diets designed for controlled feeding.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • recent dietary changes, restrictions, allergies or preferences;
  • health conditions that require management beyond the scope of the study (e.g. heart failure, kidney disease, liver disease, gastrointestinal disorder);
  • history of drug or alcohol abuse;
  • plans to leave the San Diego area before study completion; and
  • lack of suitability per investigators' discretion.

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: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

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.
Experimental: 50g added sugar
Crossover design and each participant receives all 4 experimental arms/doses in random order
Dietary supplement: one 24 hr cycle of meals at a 2000 kcal level
50g added sugar
Experimental: 90g added sugar
Crossover design and each participant receives all 4 experimental arms/doses in random order
Dietary supplement: one 24 hr cycle of meals at a 2000 kcal level + one serving sugar sweetened beverage
90 grams added sugar
Experimental: 130g added sugar
Crossover design and each participant receives all 4 experimental arms/doses in random order
Dietary supplement: one 24 hr cycle of meals at a 2000 kcal level + two servings sugar sweetened beverage
130 grams added sugar
Experimental: 170g added sugar
Crossover design and each participant receives all 4 experimental arms/doses in random order
Dietary supplement: one 24 hr cycle of meals at a 2000 kcal level + three serving sugar sweetened beverage
170 grams added sugar

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
Carbon isotope values from blood
Time Frame: 30 days
The ratio of carbon 13 to carbon 12 in human blood will be determined.
30 days

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
Carbon isotope values from hair
Time Frame: 30 days
The ratio of carbon 13 to carbon 12 in human hair samples will be determined.
30 days
Carbon isotope values from fingernails
Time Frame: 30 days
The ratio of carbon 13 to carbon 12 in human fingernail samples will be determined.
30 days
Nitrogen isotope values from blood
Time Frame: 30 days
The ratio of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen 14 in human blood will be determined.
30 days
Nitrogen isotope values from hair
Time Frame: 30 days
The ratio of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen 14 in human hair will be determined.
30 days
Nitrogen isotope values from fingernails
Time Frame: 30 days
The ratio of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen 14 in human fingernails will be determined.
30 days

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.
University of California, San Diego

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: Cheryl A. Anderson, PhD, University of California, San Diego

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 (Estimated)

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.
August 1, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
February 1, 2022

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
February 1, 2022

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).
February 21, 2020

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.
June 18, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

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.
June 22, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
January 26, 2026

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.
January 22, 2026

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.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • 16IRG27770080

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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