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AzTrials

PreDiabetesCETUSNCT03889210

β-hydroxybutyrate, Glucose Metabolism and Prediabetes

A study testing HVMN Ketone in people with PreDiabetes, run by University of Auckland, New Zealand at 1 site in New Zealand.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The study aims to investigate changes in blood glucose metabolism after administration of a ketone ester drink. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
PreDiabetes
What is being tested?
HVMN Ketone
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
18 participants
Where
1 siteNew Zealand
Study dates
1 Apr 2019to 30 Aug 2019
Phase
Interventional
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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Individuals over 18 years
  • Individuals diagnosed with prediabetes; defined based on the American Diabetes Association guidelines
  • History of at least one episode of acute pancreatitis
  • Written informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Individuals who are on a ketogenic diet or consuming nutritional ketone supplements
  • History of cancer or chronic pancreatitis
  • History of bariatric or gastrointestinal surgery
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  • Individuals involved in intensive endurance training or competitive athletics

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

New Zealand1 site
  • University of Auckland; Auckland City Hospital

    Auckland

Other trials in New Zealand

About this study

Official title: Cross-over, Placebo-controlled, Randomized Trial of β-hydroxybutyrate in Prediabetes

The study aims to investigate changes in blood glucose metabolism after administration of a ketone ester drink.

Read the detailed description

New-onset prediabetes is the most significant risk factor for diabetes. Clinical studies in healthy human volunteers have demonstrated that ketone esters lower blood glucose levels in both fasting and fed state.

Participants will visit the COSMOS clinic on two occasions and will be randomly allocated to receive either the HVMN ketone drink or placebo, in a cross-over design. Blood samples will be collected sequentially every 30 minutes for up to 150 minutes. Blood samples will be assayed for glucose and other markers of glucose metabolism.

Conditions
PreDiabetes
Being tested
HVMN Ketone, Placebo
Keywords
Ketones, Prediabetes
Medical subject headings
Prediabetic State, Ketosis

What participants receive

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

  • HVMN KetoneOther

    Water-based, flavoured sport beverage

  • PlaceboOther

    Water, stevia, malic acid, and thickening agent

Study groups in NCT03889210
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
HVMN ketone drinkActive comparatorHVMN ketone drink will be given in a total volume of 100 ml.
Receives: Other: HVMN Ketone
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorPlacebo will be given in a total volume of 100 ml.
Receives: Other: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Rate of change in plasma glucose concentration

    Changes in plasma glucose concentration before and after administration of the intervention/placebo

    Measured: Baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes

Secondary outcomes (9)
  1. Rate of change in plasma insulin and C-peptide concentrations

    Changes in plasma insulin and C-peptide concentrations before and after administration of the intervention/placebo

    Measured: Baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes

  2. Rate of change in plasma concentration of gut and pancreatic hormones

    Changes in plasma concentrations of ghrelin, incretins, cholecystokinin, gastrin-releasing peptide, peptide YY, oxyntomodulin, motilin, glucagon, amylin, pancreatic polypeptide, and vasoactive intestinal peptide before and after administration of the intervention/placebo

    Measured: Baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes

  3. Rate of change in lipid profile and digestive enzymes

    Changes in plasma concentration of triglycerides, glycerol, cholesterol, lipases before and after administration of the intervention/placebo

    Measured: Baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes

  4. Rate of change in plasma concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines

    Changes in plasma concentration of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, leptin, tumor necrosis factor α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and other cytokines before and after administration of the intervention/placebo

    Measured: Baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes

  5. Rate of change in plasma concentration of markers of iron metabolism

    Changes in plasma concentration of ferritin, hepcidin, transferrin receptor before and after administration of the intervention/placebo

    Measured: Baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes

  6. Correlation with body fat phenotypes

    Differences in the association between rate of change in plasma glucose concentration and magnetic resonance imaging-derived visceral fat volume in the intervention/placebo

    Measured: 150 minutes

  7. Correlation with body fat phenotypes

    Differences in the association between rate of change in plasma glucose concentration and magnetic resonance imaging-derived subcutaneous fat volume in the intervention/placebo

    Measured: 150 minutes

  8. Correlation with body fat phenotypes

    Differences in the association between rate of change in plasma glucose concentration and magnetic resonance imaging-derived liver fat per centage in the intervention/placebo

    Measured: 150 minutes

  9. Correlation with physical activity

    Differences in the association between rate of change in plasma glucose concentration and metabolic equivalents score in the intervention/placebo

    Measured: 150 minutes

Timeline

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

  1. First posted26 Mar 2019
  2. Study start1 Apr 2019
  3. Primary completion16 Aug 2019
  4. Study completion30 Aug 2019

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 N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
18 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03889210
Sponsor's protocol ID
18/NTB/161
Acronym
CETUS
Status last verified
Nov 2019
First submitted
18 Mar 2019
Last updated
6 Nov 2019
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Liu Y, Kimita W, Bharmal SH, Petrov MS. Changes in apolipoproteins following ingestion of a beverage delivering beta-hydroxybutyrate: results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Front Nutr. 2026 Feb 5;12:1726174. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1726174. eCollection 2025.

    PubMed 41725999
  • Charles S, Liu Y, Bharmal SH, Kimita W, Petrov MS. Effect of Acute Nutritional Ketosis on Circulating Levels of Growth Differentiation Factor 15: Findings from a Cross-Over Randomised Controlled Trial. Biomolecules. 2024 Jun 6;14(6):665. doi: 10.3390/biom14060665.

    PubMed 38927068
  • Charles S, Liu Y, Kimita W, Ko J, Bharmal SH, Petrov MS. Effect of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate-(R)-1,3 butanediol on plasma levels of asprosin and leptin: results from a randomised controlled trial. Food Funct. 2023 Jan 23;14(2):759-768. doi: 10.1039/d2fo02405e.

    PubMed 36594212
  • Liu Y, Bharmal SH, Kimita W, Petrov MS. Effect of d-beta-Hydroxybutyrate-(R)-1,3 Butanediol on Appetite Regulation in People with Prediabetes. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2023 Feb;67(4):e2200615. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202200615. Epub 2023 Jan 26.

    PubMed 36565045
  • Liu Y, Bharmal SH, Kimita W, Petrov MS. Effect of acute ketosis on lipid profile in prediabetes: findings from a cross-over randomized controlled trial. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2022 Jul 23;21(1):138. doi: 10.1186/s12933-022-01571-z.

    PubMed 35871064
  • Bharmal SH, Alarcon Ramos GC, Ko J, Petrov MS. Abdominal fat distribution modulates the metabolic effects of exogenous ketones in individuals with new-onset prediabetes after acute pancreatitis: Results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2021 Jun;43:117-129. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.03.013. Epub 2021 Mar 21.

    PubMed 34024503
  • Bharmal SH, Cho J, Alarcon Ramos GC, Ko J, Cameron-Smith D, Petrov MS. Acute Nutritional Ketosis and Its Implications for Plasma Glucose and Glucoregulatory Peptides in Adults with Prediabetes: A Crossover Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial. J Nutr. 2021 Apr 8;151(4):921-929. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa417.

    PubMed 33561274

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing HVMN Ketone in people with PreDiabetes, run by University of Auckland, New Zealand at 1 site in New Zealand.

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 4 inclusion and 5 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Nov 2019. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in New Zealand. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

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

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Rate of change in plasma glucose concentration (time frame: Baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03889210, which also lists 7 linked publications.

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 6 Nov 2019.

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