Principal Investigator: Peter Liu, MD, PhD
Study Description:
Insufficient sleep is widespread in the community and sometimes unavoidable. Researchers are starting to understand that insufficient sleep can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disorders that carry a heavy personal burden on those afflicted, as well as to the collective community. At The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA, we are studying the effects of insufficient sleep on hormone production. These changes to hormone production lead to hormone imbalances–imbalances that could eventually lead to the devastating metabolic disorders mentioned before. The hope is that findings from this study will allow us to better understand how these hormone imbalances occur, and thereby allow us to ultimately prevent them. Participants will receive medicines that will allow the researchers to assess the body’s hormone response to when the amount of sleep is restricted.
The study is being supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the third largest institute of the National Institutes of Health, dedicated to the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders.
There will be no cost to you and your partner for the study medication, study doctor’s time or procedures related to this study. Compensation for your time is provided.
Study Requirements:
The study will take approximately two months. It involves 6 visits to the clinic:2 screening visits with 1 overnight sleep study, 2 inpatient stays, and 2 follow-up visits.
Screening: At the first screening visit participants receive a physical examination, medical history, an EKG, blood and urine analysis, questionnaires, and a nutrition consult. The second screening visit is a one night, overnight stay where monitors are attached to the participant’s head to make sure there are no sleep irregularities.
Inpatient Stays: Study participants will be required to stay in the inpatient unit of the research center for 6 days and 5 nights on two occasions. Sleep will be restricted to 4 hours each night for 4 nights. Blood and saliva samples will be collected for a few hours on 2 of the 6 days of each inpatient stay. Medicines will be given for 2 of the 6 days of each inpatient stay. All meals will be provided (no outside food or caffeinated drinks allowed). For 7 days before each inpatient stay, participants wear a wrist worn sleep monitor which you will return at the start of your stay.
Follow-up visit: A follow-up study visit (lasting about 30minutes) about 3 weeks after each inpatient stay where blood is drawn to ensure levels have returned to normal.
Who can participate?
Healthy men and women between the ages of 60-80 years of age. We welcome spouses, family and friends to participate together. We are able to accommodate up to two individuals and arrange their inpatient stays to occur at the same time.
Inclusion criteria:
- Have a healthy body weight
- Be a non-smoker
- Must have good physical and mental health
- Must have regular sleeping patterns
Contact:
Cristabelle Ojukwu –Study Coordinator
Phone: (310)222-1860
Email: Cristabelle.ojukwu@lundquist.org
Principal Investigator – Dr. Peter Liu
Peter Liu, MD, PhD is an investigator at The Lundquist Institute, and is a Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a faculty member of the Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. He is an internationally recognized researcher, the current President of the International Society of Andrology (2020-2025), and an expert in the effects of insufficient, misaligned and disordered sleep on men’s health.