Effect of Calcium Polycarbophil on Type II Diabetes Mellitus Control: a Randomized Double-blind Study

NCT ID: NCT01252524

Last Updated: 2012-09-03

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

48 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2010-10-31

Study Completion Date

2011-04-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a form of fiber if effective in improving the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Measurements of other possible medical benefits will include blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and the number/dosage of medications used for diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

There have been several publications in the medical literature linking the use of various types of fiber and the beneficial effects on lipid panel, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, weight, blood pressure, and cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus or those at risk for diabetes1-5. Most of these studies utilize fiber sources from dietary food intake or psyllium.

However, diet modification and psyllium intake are difficult for patients to comply on daily basis and many patients do not continue to follow through on these interventions.

Polycarbophil is a bulk forming agent which is used for similar indications as psyllium for the treatment of constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. Because polycarbophil comes in oral tablets and capsules, patients may adhere to regular intake better compared to psyllium. However, it is unknown whether polycarbophil has similar beneficial properties compared to psyllium and other fiber types. Taking polycarbophil prior to each meal may improve diabetes control by allowing patients to have smaller meals and decrease the absorption rate of carbohydrates in the intestine.

The goal of this study is to determine whether taking calcium polycarbophil (also known as over-the-counter FiberconTM) regularly will improve the diabetes control. The proposed study will be a randomized, controlled, and double-blinded trial involving adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 50 patients will be randomized to receive either calcium polycarbophil or placebo from the Family Medicine Center at East Carolina University and followed over 6 months. The primary outcome of the trial will be glycosylated hemoglobin A1c. Secondary outcome measures will include weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol level. Additional secondary outcome measures are the number and dosages of medications for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.

The potential benefits of this study include improved control of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, reflected by the improved outcomes mentioned above. Because calcium polycarbophil (FiberconTM) is a commonly used over-the-counter fiber product for constipation, and the dosage used in this study is well within the typical use recommended by the manufacturers, the potential adverse effects of this product is thought to be identical to that described for FiberconTM. Patients will receive their usual medical care by their own primary physicians regardless of their participation in this study. After the randomization to the intervention or the control group, the study team will only monitor the outcome measures and will not alter the medical care that the patients receive.

Study title:

Effects of calcium polycarbophil on type II diabetes mellitus control: a randomized double-blinded study.

Patient population:

East Carolina University Family Medicine Center (ECU FMC) outpatient clinic patients Age above 18 Diagnosed with type II diabetes mellitus (DM) for at least 24 months. At least 4 office visits within the past 24 months for DM follow up at ECU FMC or Geriatrics Center.

Hgb A1c within the past six months of 8% to 10%.

Exclusion criteria:

Dementia diagnosis or other psychiatric diagnoses that preclude the patient from being able to consent for this study by him/herself.

Already taking fiber supplementation (polycarbophil, psyllium, methylcellulose) Severe problems with previous use of fiber supplementation (i.e. fecal impaction) Dysphagia or other swallowing disorders (unable to swallow pills or 8 oz of water) Pregnancy during the study period

Consent:

Will be obtained from the patients for the study and HIPAA.

Study design:

Randomize 50 patients to intervention or placebo:

Intervention: 25 patients to receive calcium polycarbophil 625mg po TID before each meal with 8 oz glass of water for 6 months.

Placebo control: 25 patients to receive placebo po TID before each meal with 8 oz glass of water for 6 months.

Total of 50 participants projected from the following power calculation:

Assuming a difference between groups in HbA1c of 0.5%, a standard deviation of 0.5, a power of 80% and an alpha of 0.05, an estimated 18 patients in each group (n = 36 pts) will be needed to detect a difference. Assuming a 25% dropout rate, the goal of 25 patients in each group (n=50 pts) will be needed.

Patients, primary physicians, and the researchers will be blinded to therapy versus placebo. Randomization will be performed by the ECU FM pharmacist who will open a sealed envelope which will indicate whether the patient will receive the interventional medication or placebo. The tablets will be dispensed by the pharmacist without informing the patient, physicians, or research team member as to which group the patient was randomized.

All patient will continue with their usual DM care. The patients must follow up at 3 months and 6 months.

A research team member will perform telephone follow up at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months for adverse events and compliance.

The outcomes will be analyzed by intention to treat analysis and analysis using patients who are compliant with the trial protocol.

Primary outcome:

HgbA1c at the time of enrollment, 3 months, and 6 months.

Secondary outcome:

Data will be gathered at the time of enrollment, 3 months, and 6 months:

Weight Blood Pressure Number and dosage of medications for diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia Serum LDL, HDL, triglycerides, total cholesterol Patient compliance with the study medication Adverse events including GI discomfort, constipation, excessive flatulence, fecal impaction, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia, etc.

Potential adverse events:

Side effects of Polycarbophil (MicroMedex 2.0): Abdominal fullness, flatus, vomiting, stomach cramps. Systemic adverse effects are not expected since calcium polycarbophil is not absorbed

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Diabetes Mellitus Type II

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

diabetes mellitus fiber glycemic control calcium polycarbophil

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Placebo

A placebo tablet PO TID before each meal with 8 oz of water for 6 months.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo tablet po TID before each meal with 8 oz of water for 6 months

Calcium polycarbophil

Calcium polycarbophil 625 mg PO TID before each meal with 8 oz of water for 6 months

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Calcium polycarbophil

Intervention Type DRUG

calcium polycarbophil 625 mg po TID before each meal with 8 oz water for 6 months

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Placebo

Placebo tablet po TID before each meal with 8 oz of water for 6 months

Intervention Type DRUG

Calcium polycarbophil

calcium polycarbophil 625 mg po TID before each meal with 8 oz water for 6 months

Intervention Type DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Discover alternative or legacy names that may be used to describe the listed interventions across different sources.

Konsyl Fibercon

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* 18 and older
* Diagnosed with type II diabetes mellitus for at least 24 months
* At least 4 office visits within the past 24 months for diabetes mellitus follow up at ECU Family Medicine Center
* Hemoglobin A1c within the past six months between 8% to 10%

Exclusion Criteria

* Dementia diagnosis or other psychiatric diagnoses that preclude the patient from being able to consent for this study by him/herself
* Already taking fiber supplementation (polycarbophil, psyllium, methylcellulose)
* Severe problems with previous use of fiber supplementation
* Dysphagia or other swallowing disorders, preventing the subject from swallowing pills or 8 oz of water
* Pregnancy during the study period
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

East Carolina University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Tae Joon Lee

Clinical Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Tae J Lee, MD, CMD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

East Carolina University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

East Carolina University Family Medicine Center

Greenville, North Carolina, United States

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Chandalia M, Garg A, Lutjohann D, von Bergmann K, Grundy SM, Brinkley LJ. Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 2000 May 11;342(19):1392-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJM200005113421903.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10805824 (View on PubMed)

Vuksan V, Jenkins DJ, Spadafora P, Sievenpiper JL, Owen R, Vidgen E, Brighenti F, Josse R, Leiter LA, Bruce-Thompson C. Konjac-mannan (glucomannan) improves glycemia and other associated risk factors for coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes. A randomized controlled metabolic trial. Diabetes Care. 1999 Jun;22(6):913-9. doi: 10.2337/diacare.22.6.913.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10372241 (View on PubMed)

Rodriguez-Moran M, Guerrero-Romero F, Lazcano-Burciaga G. Lipid- and glucose-lowering efficacy of Plantago Psyllium in type II diabetes. J Diabetes Complications. 1998 Sep-Oct;12(5):273-8. doi: 10.1016/s1056-8727(98)00003-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9747644 (View on PubMed)

Ziai SA, Larijani B, Akhoondzadeh S, Fakhrzadeh H, Dastpak A, Bandarian F, Rezai A, Badi HN, Emami T. Psyllium decreased serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin significantly in diabetic outpatients. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Nov 14;102(2):202-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2005.06.042. Epub 2005 Sep 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16154305 (View on PubMed)

Ylonen K, Saloranta C, Kronberg-Kippila C, Groop L, Aro A, Virtanen SM; Botnia Dietary Study. Associations of dietary fiber with glucose metabolism in nondiabetic relatives of subjects with type 2 diabetes: the Botnia Dietary Study. Diabetes Care. 2003 Jul;26(7):1979-85. doi: 10.2337/diacare.26.7.1979.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12832299 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

10-0422

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id