In today’s blog, I am going to talk about the research here at The Endocrine Center. We are conducting state of the art diabetes and low testosterone (low T) research studies in the Houston area. By involving our group of doctors in the research, our diabetes specialists get the chance to run studies on new medications. These clinical trials empower our doctors with unique knowledge that is not available to other endocrinologists. This empowerment and knowledge allows our physicians to better serve the patients of The Endocrine Center.
Under the supervision of the FDA, we are trying to answer the question of whether testosterone replacement is helpful for patients with known cardiovascular disease (CVD). We are looking for patients who have one of the following: high risk for CVD, have had a previous stroke or myocardial infarction (MI; Heart Attack), are symptomatic of peripheral vascular disease, have carotid stenosis, or have had stents in the past. Any of these indicators along with signs and symptoms of low T will usually allow a patient to qualify. For those that do qualify, we will follow them for 3 to 5 years. Some of the participants will take testosterone while others will take a placebo. We will monitor them for the duration of the study and report on their data. Once the study is completed, we will be able to conclude if testosterone replacement is helpful in this population.
Another study we are conducting looks into the effect of GLP-1 agonists on non-diabetic patients who have coronary artery disease. These patients will have a history of MI, stroke, or symptomatic peripheral vascular disease. The purpose of this study is to prove that GLP-1 is helping those patients who are non-diabetic prevent their secondary MI or stroke.
The final study we will talk about today is looking for patients who have been diagnosed with fatty liver and fibrosis (Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; NASH) and are diabetic. This study will start patients on a new oral medication that can help to reverse their fatty liver and fibrosis. In addition, the medication will also reduce their A1C and give them better diabetes control.
These are three studies, among others, that we are currently conducting at The Endocrine Center. If you are from Houston and are looking to enroll in one of our clinical trials, please call our research line at 713-973-3415 or 713-973-3418 or visit our website at www.endocrinecenter.com/research.
-Dr. Amer Al-Karadsheh
