Skip to main content

Obesity clinical trials at UCSD

19 in progress, 10 open to eligible people

Showing trials for
  • Negative Affect in Individuals With Binge Eating Episodes

    open to eligible people ages 18-55

    Binge-eating is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of - typically high calorie - foods, eating much more rapidly than normal and until feeling uncomfortably full, as well as feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or guilty after those episodes. Two eating disorders are characterized by binge-eating as central diagnostic criteria, binge-eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Binge-eating episodes in BN, but not BED, are typically followed by compensatory mechanisms such as self-induced vomiting, and BED is typically associated with obesity, while BN is not. Behavior studies such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) research of affect in an individual's naturalistic environment have shown that negative affect and negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly when distressed) often precede binge-eating. The Investigators want to answer the following questions: Can negative affect in BN and BED be linked to 1) altered dopamine related brain reinforcement learning, 2) to food value computation and cognitive control circuit function, and 3) can dopamine related brain activation predict eating and negative affect, indicating a brain based neurobiological vulnerability. Answering those questions will help to define binge-eating based on regulation of brain reward, cognition, and emotion circuit function and point toward potential psychopharmacological interventions to normalize brain function and behavior.

    San Diego, California

  • Families, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Executive Function

    open to eligible people ages 8-12

    The pilot study will be a one group open-label treatment program and will be used to refine a parent-based behavioral treatment enhanced with executive-function training (PBT-EF) for children with comorbid overweight or obesity and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

    San Diego, California

  • Family Functioning in Obesity Treatment for Mexican Americans

    open to eligible females ages 18-65

    Mexican American families share similar elevated risks for obesity and obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Because negative family interactions and relationships (e.g., poor communication, high conflict, low emotional closeness) are associated with obesity treatment outcomes, this study tests a behavioral weight management intervention that provides relationship skills counseling to mothers and adult daughters. The goal is to improve family interaction patterns to buffer challenges and strengthen collaboration for eating and physical activity behaviors that support long-term weight management and thus provide an effective obesity treatment approach to address a major public health concern.

    La Jolla, California and other locations

  • Family, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Families With a Child With Autism

    open to eligible people ages 6-12

    The objective of this proposed study is to collect initial efficacy data on a telehealth parent-based behavioral program for children with autism and overweight or obesity (PBT-A), compared with health education (HE).

    La Jolla, California

  • Family, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Food Responsiveness

    open to eligible people ages 7-12

    The objective of this proposed study is to compare Regulation of Cues (ROC), Family-Based Treatment (FBT), ROC+ nutrition education and reducing energy intake (ROC+) and a health education comparator (HE) for children with overweight or obesity who are high on food responsiveness (FR).

    La Jolla, California and other locations

  • Family, Responsibility, Education, Support, and Health for Latino Caregivers (FRESH-LC)

    open to eligible people ages 5-12

    The objective of this proposed study is to collect initial efficacy data on a telehealth family-based behavioral program for Latino children with overweight or obesity, which also includes additional caregiver support (PBT-AC), compared with health education (HE).

    La Jolla, California

  • Healing Experiences of Adversity Among Latinos (HEALthy4You)

    open to eligible people ages 5-11

    Healing Experiences of Adversity Among Latinos (HEALthy4You) is a project funded by the California Initiative for the Advancement of Precision Medicine ("Advancing a Precision Population Health Approach to ACEs to Reduce Health Disparities"). The long-term goal of this project is to develop community-centered, culturally Appropriate, precision Interventions that can be delivered within Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHCs) for Latino Families, to reduce Adverse Child Events (ACES) risks and treat childhood obesity. UCSD in conjunction with Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) will conduct a 2x2 factorial trial with four groups meant to determine what combination of intervention components influence family protective factors (a key marker for reduced risk of the deleterious effects of systemic and family/individual stressors that are a critical part of ACEs) and childhood obesity.

    San Diego, California and other locations

  • Pharmacologic Weight Loss as Adjunct Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis in Obese Patients

    open to eligible people ages 18-80

    Approximately 20-40% of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are obese. The investigators have demonstrated that obesity adversely impacts disease course in patients with UC, leading to higher risk of persistently active disease, surgery, hospitalization, and treatment failure, particularly in biologic-treated patients. Intentional weight loss is effective in improving disease outcomes in patients with inflammatory arthritis, but there is limited data on its impact in UC. While dietary interventions for weight loss have limited efficacy and endoscopic bariatric interventions may be too invasive in patients with UC with active gastrointestinal symptoms, pharmacological weight loss with a highly effective oral agent may be a novel strategy to induce weight loss and augment the efficacy of biologic therapy in UC. Hence, the investigators are conducting a pilot, phase 2A, 22-week, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of phentermine-topiramate in obese patients with active UC starting on a new biologic agent (infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab, vedolizumab). The overall objective is to (1) evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of phentermine-topiramate, and (2) to assess the impact of pharmacological weight loss on clinical outcomes, inflammatory burden and biologic trough concentration in patients with UC. The central hypothesis is that phentermine-topiramate will be safe, effective, and well tolerated in patients with UC, and weight loss would achieve higher rates of clinical and biochemical remission, and higher biologic trough concentration.

    La Jolla, California

  • Semaglutide Treatment in the Real-world for Fibrosis Due to NAFLD in Obesity and T2DM

    open to eligible people ages 40-79

    Conduct a community intervention study that will 1) validate a screening approach to identify patients at risk for advanced NAFLD in the obese or T2DM population, and 2) test whether semaglutide treatment is effective for the management of significant fibrosis due to NAFLD in high-risk patients.

    La Jolla, California

  • Solutions for Hunger And Regulating Eating

    open to eligible people ages 18-65

    The objective of this proposed study is to collect efficacy data on ROC+ compared to an active comparator (AC) and to Behavioral Weight Loss (BWL) for participants who are high in Food Responsiveness.

    La Jolla, California

  • Fenretinide Administered in Subjects With Obesity

    Sorry, currently not accepting new patients, but might later

    Many metabolic complications of obesity are a consequence of abnormal responses of the liver, muscle, and fat to insulin actions. Fenretinide may improve the effects of insulin, preventing metabolic complications.

    San Diego, California

  • ADRB3 Signaling Pathway in Human Adipose Tissue

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    This study will examine the gene expression of the adrenergic Beta-3 receptor (ADRB3) regulation in human subcutaneous adipose tissue before and after treatment with mirabegron, an ADRB3 agonist. Gene expression will be compared across two groups, lean and obese participants. There will be a total of three study visits: Screening/Eligibility, Pre-Dose Adipose Tissue Biopsy and Post-Dose Adipose Tissue Biopsy. Participants will be given a single dose of 100mg oral mirabegron on the day of the Post-Dose Adipose Tissue Biopsy.The trial design is a single-center, phase 1, open-label, exploratory study to examine the adipocyte gene expression in adults treated with 1 dose of 100mg oral mirabegron.

    La Jolla, California

  • Breast Cancer WEight Loss Study (BWEL Study)

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    This randomized phase III trial studies whether weight loss in overweight and obese women may prevent breast cancer from coming back (recurrence). Previous studies have found that women who are overweight or obese when their breast cancer is found (diagnosed) have a greater risk of their breast cancer recurring, as compared to women who were thinner when their cancer was diagnosed. This study aims to test whether overweight or obese women who take part in a weight loss program after being diagnosed with breast cancer have a lower rate of cancer recurrence as compared to women who do not take part in the weight loss program. This study will help to show whether weight loss programs should be a part of breast cancer treatment.

    La Jolla, California and other locations

  • Time-restricted Eating on Catecholamine-sensitivity of Adipose Tissue in Obese Adults

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    In a randomized controlled trial, the investigators intend to measure the health impact of time-restricted eating (TRE) in obese patients (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2), who habitually eat for more than 14 hours every day. Patients will be randomly assigned to a control group of behavioral nutritional counseling (standard of care) or the intervention group of behavioral nutrition counseling with the addition of adopting a 10-hour eating window for 12 weeks (TRE).

    La Jolla, California

  • Extracellular microRNA: Biomarkers of Endothelial Dysfunction in Obese Adolescents & Adults With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    Using a prospective observational approach and a clinical trial design comparing the effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure to diet and exercise, investigators plan to evaluate how obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) leads to endothelial dysfunction in adolescents and young adults and whether treatment of OSA can improve endothelial dysfunction. Concurrently, investigators will measure miR 92a/miR 210 levels in all subjects at baseline and following therapy to determine whether miR 92a/miR 210 levels reliably predict endothelial dysfunction in patients and responses to therapy.

  • FRESH-TEEN: Families Responsibility Education Support Health for Teens

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The objective of this proposed study is to collect initial efficacy data on a behavioral weight loss (BWL) program for teens, which also includes emotion regulation strategies (ER), to standard BWL.

    La Jolla, California and other locations

  • SMART 2.0: Social Mobile Approaches to Reducing weighT in Young Adults

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The SMART 2.0 study is a 24-month trial designed to evaluate the impact of the intervention with technology and personal health coaching or with technology alone on objectively measured weight among overweight young adults in a university setting over 24 months compared to a control group. The investigators hypothesize that both interventions will significantly improve weight compared to the control group, and the group receiving personal health coaching will experience the greatest improvement.

    La Jolla, California

  • Technical Validation of MR Biomarkers of Obesity-Associated NAFLD

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    The overall goal of this collaborative research program is to develop, validate and translate advanced quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) biomarkers of obesity-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This protocol represents the research plan for two distinct phases. The first phase is an optimization phase. The second phase is designed to complete a rigorous test of conventional and advanced MRE techniques. Complementary anthropometric, laboratory, and MR measures will also be collected to characterize the cohort and identify factors that affect MRE performance

    La Jolla, California and other locations

  • Underlying Mechanisms of Obesity-induced Obstructive Sleep Apnea

    Sorry, accepting new patients by invitation only

    Obesity is a common risk factor for the development of obstructive sleep apnea. However, not all subjects with obesity develop obstructive sleep apnea. This study will attempt to determine the mechanistic drivers between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea.

    La Jolla, California

Our lead scientists for Obesity research studies include .

Last updated: