Effects of Pulsatile Intravenous Insulin Therapy on Cardiac Disease in Patients With Diabetes

The purpose of this study is to determine if restoring normal metabolic function in patients with either type I or type II diabetes can improve the impact of the consequences of diabetic complications on heart disease in diabetic patients. Patients are treated once a week with pulsatile intravenous insulin therapy mimicking normal insulin secretion. A diabetic cardiac disease quality of life questionnaire is completed prior to the start of the treatment and monthly thereafter with detailed analysis performed to measure progress and outcomes. A carotid ultrasound and echocardiogram are performed at baseline and every six months to monitor progress.

Study Overview

• Status: Withdrawn
• Conditions: Diabetes Mellitus, With Complications
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Intravenous Insulin on cardiac disease in diabetic pts

Detailed Description

It is known that the glucose metabolic pathway (glycolysis) is the primary fuel generator in the brain and nerve tissue, the heart and vascular tissue, the eye, the kidney and the liver Deficient metabolic states such as seen in the glucose metabolism of diabetics can lead to sequelae. These damaging effects are exacerbated by altered cellular metabolites, specifically the increase in catabolic and decrease in anabolic factors. It has been shown over the past twenty years that normalization of metabolism in diabetic patients can be accomplished by mimicking the normal endogenous insulin pattern (ie., in pulses). Pulsatile insulin infusion has been demonstrated to reverse the diabetic metabolic state from primary fat utilization to carbohydrate utilization. This has been correlated with a stabilization of kidney function in patients with overt diabetic nephropathy, stabilization of blood glucoses, stabilization of blood pressure patterns, and reversal of hypoglycemic unawareness.

Patient's progress will be assessed through objective testing including carotid ultrasounds and echocardiograms at baseline and every six months.

A Cardiac disease Quality Of Life questionnaire was developed to assess quality of life in patients with types 1 and 2 Diabetes Mellitus. This study measures whether the reversal of abnormal metabolism in patients with diabetes is correlated with an improvement in their quality of life.The respiratory quotient (RQ) is a measurement of CO2 exhaled and O2 inhaled and is proportionate to the fuel sources being used by the body, primarily the liver over short periods of time. The higher the RQ, the more glucose and less alternative fuel sources are being utilized. Following the RQ change helps determine the effectiveness of physiological insulin administration in increasing anabolic functions in diabetic individuals. By improving the body's glucose metabolism and thereby causing beneficial effects of anabolic factors, the possibility of serious complications can be decreased. In addition the use of oral carbohydrate at the same time along with the physiologic insulin administration stimulates the appropriate gut hormones which augment this effect, a response which cannot be duplicated with intravenous glucose. The purpose of our studies is to determine whether the physiologic administration of insulin along with the augmenting effect of oral carbohydrates will normalize metabolism in diabetic patients and improve their quality of life indices.

The RQ is determined by the use of a metabolic cart. Individuals breathe into a mask for 3-5 minutes after a rest period of 30 or more minutes. The ratio of exhaled volume of CO2 to the inhaled volume of O2 is determined as the RQ. The physiologic range is 0.7 to1.3. Individuals using fat as a primary fuel have a ratio of 0.7, protein or mixed fuels is 0.8-0.9 and carbohydrate is 0.9-1.0. Those taking excessive calories will have RQ's higher than 1.05. The RQ can be followed serially and this is done before and after each pulsatile IV insulin treatment, during the 3 successive sessions on a single treatment day. The amount of intravenous insulin and oral glucose given is determined by the RQ changes during the previous session.pulsatile IV insulin therapy encourages the glucose metabolism in diabetics to normalize in multiple organs, especially muscle, retina, liver, kidney and nerve endings. The process fundamentally requires the administration of high dose insulin pulses similar to those found in non diabetic humans by their pancreas into the surrounding portal circulation. Oral carbohydrates are given simultaneously to augment the process and prevent hypoglycemia. The process is monitored by frequent glucose levels and respiratory quotients (RQ). RQ is measured by a metabolic cart which determines the ratio VCO2/ VO2. This ratio is specific for the fuel used at any one time by the body. The glucose levels are monitored to keep glucose levels appropriate and the RQ determines the need to readjust the infusion protocol in each patient for subsequent insulin infusion sessions.Patient is evaluated post session and discharged when stable.

Frequent monitoring of RQ is necessary as these levels change rapidly, depending on the fuel being utilized by the body. Pulsatile IV insulin therapy shifts metabolism from primarily fatty acid metabolism to primarily glucose metabolism. This shift is reflected by the increase in respiratory quotient. However during rest periods the RQ may fall back to lower levels. Therefore RQ's are done at the beginning and at the end of each insulin infusion session of 1 hour in order to appropriately monitor and adjust insulin and carbohydrate loads to reach optimal activation in each session.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Boca Raton, Florida, United States, 33431
      • Betty Tuller PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years to 85 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• The researchers will include up to 400 pts between male and female between the ages of 21 and 85 diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and cardiac disease
• Self reporting or diagnosed with significant complications resulting from diabetes
• Taking oral agents and/or insulin for diabetic control
• Under an Endocrinologist supervision for their diabetes management, Endocrinologist must assess and approve pt for participation in this study
• Ability to swallow without difficulty
• Ability to perform Respiratory Quotient requirements by breathing into a mask for 3 minutes at a time

Exclusion Criteria:

• Lack of Intravenous access
• Pregnancy
• Alcohol abuse, drug addiction or the use of illegal drugs
• Active liver disease
• Active chemotherapy
• Positive HIV
• Inability to breathe into a respiratory quotient machine

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Active Comparator: 1; Diabetic patients will complete cardiac quality of life questionnaires at baseline and monthly thereafter to monitor and assess progress with complications resulting from their heart disease. Comparisons will be performed on carotid ultrasounds,echocardiograms and lab values performed at baseline and every six months and medication information collected at weekly Pulsatile Intravenous Insulin treatment sessions

Procedure: Intravenous Insulin on cardiac disease in diabetic pts; Endocrinologist reviews patient activation after treatment each week and adjust the amounts of insulin and carbohydrates to be given in the next session; Other Names: Humulin R, Novolog

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Monitor and assess whether Pulsatile Intravenous Insulin Therapy can effect progression of cardiac disease in diabetic patients. Monitor results of Cardiac tests,carotid ultrasounds and echocardiograms,cardiac QOL, labs, meds to analyze progress.	Testing is performed at baseline and every six months thereafter.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Florida Atlantic University
• Collaborators: Advanced Diabetes Treatment Centers
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Betty Tuller, PhD, Florida Atlantic University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2007
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 3, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 3, 2007
• First Posted (Estimate): October 4, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 10, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 8, 2016
• Last Verified: August 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus; Cardiac Disease; Pulsatile Intravenous Insulin Therapy; Diabetic Cardiac Quality of Life
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Heart Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus; Hypoglycemic Agents; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Insulin; Insulin Aspart
• Other Study ID Numbers: H09-124