Recruiting

Testing if reducing liver fat helps type 2 diabetes control

Plain-English translation of NCT06211556 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated July 2025 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This trial is investigating whether reducing fat stored in the liver can help restore your body's natural response to exercise in type 2 diabetes. Researchers believe that excess liver fat interferes with a protein called FGF21, which is normally released during exercise and helps your body control blood sugar and weight. The study will test whether a two-week very-low calorie diet can reduce liver fat and restore this beneficial protein response.

People with type 2 diabetes often don't release this helpful protein (FGF21) during exercise, the way healthy people do—possibly because of excess fat in the liver. This trial aims to discover whether removing that liver fat through diet can fix this problem and improve diabetes control.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 30 and 70 years old
you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, either managed with metformin alone or with no diabetes medications
you have had type 2 diabetes for less than 7 years
you have a BMI between 30 and 40 (overweight or obese category)
you are not very active (exercising less than 1.5 hours per week at a moderate intensity)

You likely don't qualify if…

you are taking diabetes medications other than metformin (such as insulin, GLP-1 drugs, or SGLT2 inhibitors)
you have severe kidney disease or reduced kidney function
you have metal implants in your body that would prevent MRI scanning
you have serious diabetes complications such as vision problems, nerve damage, or kidney disease
you have significant heart disease, liver disease, cancer, or untreated thyroid problems

What participation looks like

You will visit the research center at the start and end of the two-week study period. At each visit, researchers will take images of your liver using an MRI scanner, measure your fitness by having you exercise on a stationary bike, and take blood samples. Half of participants will follow a very-low calorie diet (about 800 calories per day) for two weeks, while the other half continue eating normally as a comparison group. The study lasts approximately two weeks from start to finish.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 3, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

Denmark

Rigshospitalet - CFAS, Copenhagen, Capital Region