Obesity clinical trials at UCLA

This study will investigate the effect of tirzepatide on the reduction of morbidity and mortality in adults living with obesity and provide additional evidence for the potential clinical benefits of tirzepatide in this population.

Approximately 130 million Americans have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes (T2D) but remain unscreened and/or unaware of their diagnosis. While prediabetes/T2D screening, also known as glycemic screening, is endorsed in national guidelines, there is almost no research on how to increase screening rates, or evaluations of interventions testing the effectiveness of screening promotion strategies. The American Medical Association has published prediabetes quality measures that apply to UCLA Health as well as all other health systems, specifically tracking the percentage of adult patients with risk factors for T2D due for glycemic screening for whom the screening process was initiated. However, there is no current systemic effort underway at UCLA, or most other health systems, to encourage glycemic screening. We are proposing a pilot trial of the first SMART (Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial) for glycemic screening. Our SMART experiment will provide preliminary feasibility and acceptability data for a larger, multisite trial that will provide vital guidance to optimize screening approaches for a growing number of screening-eligible patients so that they may seek earlier detection, treatment, and/or access to lifestyle programs and interventions for T2D or prediabetes.

This TK-MT is an interactive year-long program that teaches culinary skills, nutrition education, mindfulness, and stress reduction, promotes movement, and optimizes behavior change through health coaching strategies. The purpose of this study is to test whether a referral-based teaching kitchen intervention offered for 12 months in adjunct to primary care obesity management is feasible, acceptable, and effective on improving health behaviors and obesity prevention. Specifically, the primary goal of the study is to provide evidence of improved behavior change (ex: increases in cooking at home, fruit and vegetable intake, exercise, sleep, mindful activities), improved lab values (ex: fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.), and resulting change in body weight and waist circumference measures. The hypothesis is that by participating in this novel TK-MT intervention - learning to cook healthy, delicious, inexpensive meals at home; understanding principles of good nutrition (based on the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate); incorporating exercise more effectively into daily living; reducing stress and increasing mindfulness and sleep; and, having access to principles of health coaching - in order to leverage personal motivations - can provide a platform to transform individuals and consequently their health, not only for the duration of this study (16 weeks intensive, 8 months boosters for a total of 12 months) but for their entire lives.