Stopped: Not funded
This study will examine whether epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major component of green tea, affects how the body responds to insulin in healthy and obese people. Insulin is not as effective in people who are overweight, have high blood pressure or diabetes. This condition is known as insulin resistance. Laboratory studies suggest that green tea or EGCG treatment lowers blood pressure, lowers blood sugar and increases blood flow. This study will see if EGCG improves insulin resistance or insulin's effects on blood flow in people with insulin resistance. Healthy normal weight or overweight people between 21 and 65 years of age may be eligible for this study. Participants are randomly assigned to take EGCG or a placebo ( inactive dummy pill ) in two 4-week treatment phases with a 2-week period of no study medication before each treatment phase. After the first 4-week treatment, patients on placebo are switched to EGCG and those on EGCG are switched to placebo. In addition to treatment, participants undergo the following procedures during the study period: * Screening, including medical history, physical examination and blood and urine tests, and finger-stick blood sugar measurement for patients with diabetes * Complete a dietary and physical activity questionnaire and consult with a dietitian * Blood and urine tests * At-home and clinic blood pressure monitoring * Glucose clamp test to measure how the body responds to insulin. This test is done three times during the study. A needle is placed in a vein in each of the subject's arms, one for sampling blood and the other for infusing insulin, glucose and potassium. Glucose and insulin levels, electrolytes, lipids, fatty acids, cytokines and epicatechin are measured. * Forearm blood flow measurement with microbubbles and ultrasound. Before beginning the glucose clamp test, a test of how well the blood vessels relax is done. A device that measures the size of the artery in the upper arm is placed above the elbow. Blood flow in the muscle of the forearm is measured by ultrasound using a small infusion through a vein of microbubble contrast agent consisting of gas-filled bubbles the size of red blood cells. The contrast agent is infused over a 7- to 9-minute period at the beginning of the glucose clamp test and again 2 hours after the beginning of the test.
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Improvement in insulin resistance
Timeframe: 14 weeks