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Atrial FibrillationPhase 2NCT00309439

ALA and Prostate Cancer

A Phase 2 study testing ALA-rich diet in people with Atrial Fibrillation and Diet Therapy, run by University of Toronto.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

The problem is the lack of data from randomized controlled trials to throw light on the ALA-prostate cancer issue. There is therefore a need to acquire evidence from a randomized controlled study to illustrate the effect of ALA on a surrogate marker for prostate cancer, namely prostate specific antigen (PSA). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 77 years
Conditions the study is for
Atrial Fibrillation, Diet Therapy, Prostate Cancer
What is being tested?
ALA-rich diet
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
How many people
Not given
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Start not givento not given
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 77 years
  • All sexes
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Blood samples available from Bordeaux

Who cannot join

  • Blood samples not received from Bordeaux

About this study

Official title: Studies of Serum PSA to Help Resolve the Current Implication of Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA) and Prostate Cancer

The problem is the lack of data from randomized controlled trials to throw light on the ALA-prostate cancer issue. There is therefore a need to acquire evidence from a randomized controlled study to illustrate the effect of ALA on a surrogate marker for prostate cancer, namely prostate specific antigen (PSA). Demonstration that atrial fibrillation recurrence was reduced after cardioversion and that there was no adverse effect of 1 years of ALA feeding on PSA would go a considerable way to providing the required evidence that ALA in the human diet has no adverse effect on the prostate and so allow its use for cardiovascular risk reduction. hypothesis: The effect of ALA on PSA levels over time will be no different from the control, so providing supportive data for the view that ALA is not cancer promoting.

Read the detailed description

In addition disturbing news on alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has recently been reviewed by Brouwer and colleagues (J Nutr:2004). Their analyses suggests that ALA, as found in canola oil and other healthy foods, may cause prostate cancer even though there is good evidence that canola oil will prevent heart disease. This issue urgently needs further research.

In studies largely from the Harvard group, but suggested by additional studies from Uruguay and Spain, a link has been identified between ALA intake and prostate cancer. The Harvard studies are cohort studies where groups of approximately 40,000 doctors or health professionals have been followed up for periods of 10 years and the dietary intakes of ALA related to the subsequent development of aggressive prostate cancer. It must be stressed that these are not randomized crossover studies which are the currently accepted gold standard for evidence-based medicine and regulatory decision making. Nevertheless they raise concern over the health profile of a fatty acid with a growing reputation for cardiovascular disease prevention and a component of other healthy foods such as walnuts, flax, canola and soy.

The same Harvard group identified the deleterious effects on cardiovascular health of trans fatty acids in their cohort studies and this has resulted in a major effort to remove trans fatty acids from the food supply. On the other hand their identification of the benefits of vitamin E in their cohort studies has not been confirmed by subsequent randomized controlled trials. Although Dr Willett, the senior member of the Harvard group, has drawn surprisingly little attention to the negative findings with ALA, it remains a sticking point with regulators in the current debate over the inclusion and use of ALA in the food supply. This concern has been sufficient for the Natural Health Products Directorate of Health Canada to ask for a full proposal from us before we start studies on ALA in the prevention of atrial fibrillation due the apparently negative impact of ALA consumption on prostate cancer.

Being tested
ALA-rich diet
Medical subject headings
Atrial Fibrillation, Prostatic Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ALA-rich dietProcedure or surgery

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted31 Mar 2006 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00309439
Sponsor's protocol ID
REB15636
Status last verified
Jun 2012
First submitted
29 Mar 2006
Last updated
13 Jun 2012
Results posted
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing ALA-rich diet in people with Atrial Fibrillation and Diet Therapy, run by University of Toronto.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Jun 2012. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Jun 2012.

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