Clinical trial needs volunteers to study possible diabetes treatment

During National Diabetes Week (13 to 19 July), the University of Western Sydney is calling for people who think they may have diabetes, or elevated blood sugar levels, to participate in a clinical trial which may lead to a new treatment to help control the condition.

The trial, conducted by the UWS Centre for Complementary Medicine Research (CompleMED), will target the early stages of diabetes, called prediabetes, which afflicts an estimated 1.3 million Australians and those with diabetes currently controlled only by diet and exercise.

Principal researcher on the trial and UWS PhD candidate, Suzanne Grant says Jiangtang Xiaozhi – a complex Chinese herbal formula – may halt the escalation of blood sugar to levels that cause diabetes and serious complications.

"Currently, when it comes to preventing diabetes, the best advice has been to eat well and exercise, but for many of us changing our lifestyle for the better can be difficult to achieve and maintain," says Ms Grant.

"Unlike ‘prescriptions’ for lifestyle changes, this Chinese herbal treatment – if proven to be effective – will mean that prediabetes can be treated by a daily dose of herbal tablets. While nothing can substitute for a balanced diet and exercise for overall good health, Jiangtang Xiaozhi may provide a new, more convenient way for people to help avoid diabetes," she says.

Prediabetes is characterised by raised blood sugar levels that aren’t yet high enough to cause overt symptoms.

Dr Dennis Chang, Acting Director of CompleMED and a supervisor on the trial, says the study will use rigorous scientific methods to establish whether Jiangtang Xiaozhi can lower blood sugar levels and sensitise insulin.

It follows on from a successful clinical trial conducted in China which found people with type 2 diabetes taking the formula – a mixture of six active herbs, including turmeric – experienced lowered blood sugar and cholesterol levels and had their insulin ‘sensitised’.

Participants with prediabetes or diabetes currently controlled only by diet and exercise recruited for the CompleMED trial will have their blood sugar, insulin levels and other physical health measures, such as blood pressure and weight, recorded regularly throughout the trial.

(Source: University of Western Sydney: July 2008)