Borough man urges more people to take part in diabetes study

A MAN from the borough says a type two diabetes study was “the best thing he ever did” and is urging more people to take part.

Alan Hutchinson, from Barlestone, took part in a Leicester Diabetes Centre research project investigating how a certain type of medication affects people’s hunger levels.

The 67-year-old took part because he “felt sad” about his diabetes diag- nosis and wanted to see if he could improve his health by managing his diet more effectively.

The researchers are studying the effect of a new drug called Empagliflozin on the appetite hormones and weight change of type 2 diabetes patients.

For the purposes of the study, some patients take the drug and others are given a placebo

Alan said: “Taking part in the trial was probably the best thing I’ve ever done. It gave me a completely new lease of life as I learnt a great deal about diet and also myself throughout the course of the study.

“One of the main lessons was empowerment. Your health is in your hands and it’s up to you if you want to make your life better. No one else is going to do it for you and I’m so very grateful to the team at the Leicester Diabetes Centre team for giving me the opportunity to take part.”

Alan does not know whether he was given the real medication, but either way he says it does not matter.

He said: “I lost 22lb over six months and still keep the food diary because it helps me maintain my weight. It was a big commitment as I had to come in for full days, but the staff were so supportive.

“It was a bit like taking part in a medically approved Weight Watchers programme, but I can honestly say I feel the best in shape now than I’ve ever been.”

The project is still ongoing at the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), a partnership between Leicester’s Hospitals, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University.

Researchers are still looking to recruit for the study and are looking for men and post-menopausal women who have type 2 diabetes and are currently taking the drug metformin or who use diet and lifestyle control alone to control their diabetes.

The research team also want to investigate the effect of being on a low-calorie diet in addition to taking the drug. To sign up to take part, phone 0116 258 6439, or e-mail: LDC.Trials@uhl-tr.nhs. uk