Purpose

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. The cardiovascular impact of milk consumption remains a matter of long-standing scientific debate. Current guidelines for Americans recommend three daily servings of fat-free or low-fat (1%) dairy over full-fat options due to concerns that saturated fat may increase cardiovascular risk. Yet, the literature does not consistently support non-fat dairy as superior to high-fat dairy for reducing cardiometabolic risk. Identifying the comparative health benefits of non-fat versus high-fat dairy milk would be immediately applicable to patients who seek cardiovascular care. In this randomized, case-crossover trial, the investigators seek to efficiently assess the association between high-fat versus non-fat dairy milk consumption and insulin resistance. Utilizing the Eureka Platform, participants will be randomized to limit their liquid milk consumption to whole milk followed by skim milk (or vice versa), measuring the effect of milk fat content on glycemic index and lipid profile.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Are age ≥18 years - Have a smartphone - Are able to use the Eureka mobile application - Consume, on average, at least one cup of dairy milk daily, at least 5 days per week

Exclusion Criteria

  • Non-English speaker - Are lactose intolerant - History of myocardial infarction - History of type I or type II diabetes - Familial hypercholesterolemia - Plan to change treatment for cholesterol - Unable to read or sign to provide informed consent

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Crossover Assignment
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Whole Milk-Skim Milk
Participants randomized to the whole milk-skim milk treatment sequence will be instructed to limit their liquid milk consumption to only whole milk during the first two months of the study (Month 1-2), followed by only non-fat milk during the final two months of the study (Month 3-4). Using an N-of-1 strategy delivered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)-run Eureka platform utilizing a mobile smartphone-based application, subjects will be instructed weekly via app and text-based messaging on the type of liquid milk (whole or non-fat) to consume.
  • Behavioral: Whole Milk-Skim Milk
    If randomized to the whole milk-skim milk treatment sequence, participants will be instructed to restrict their liquid milk consumption to only whole milk for the first 2 months and to only skim milk for the last 2 months of the enrollment period. Participants will receive weekly app and text-based message reminders of their randomization assignments.
Experimental
Skim Milk-Whole Milk
Participants randomized to the skim milk-whole milk treatment sequence will be instructed to limit their liquid milk consumption to only non-fat milk during the first two months of the study (Month 1-2), followed by only whole-fat milk during the final two months of the study (Month 3-4). Using an N-of-1 strategy delivered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)-run Eureka platform utilizing a mobile smartphone-based application, subjects will be instructed weekly via app and text-based messaging on the type of liquid milk (whole or non-fat) to consume.
  • Behavioral: Skim Milk-Whole Milk
    If randomized to the skim milk-whole milk treatment sequence, participants will be instructed to restrict their liquid milk consumption to only skim milk for the first 2 months and to only whole milk for the last 2 months of the enrollment period. Participants will receive weekly app and text-based message reminders of their randomization assignments.

Recruiting Locations

UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus
San Francisco, California 94143
Contact:
Gregory M Marcus, MD, MAS
415-476-5706
greg.marcus@ucsf.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
University of California, San Francisco

Study Contact

Gregory M Marcus, MD, MAS
415-476-5706
greg.marcus@ucsf.edu

Detailed Description

The study is designed as an N of 1 randomized trial, where each participant will be randomized to consume high-fat versus non-fat dairy milk then crossover to the alternate condition over two consecutive two-month periods. After two and four months, participants will have lab tests performed, including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting lipids. Throughout the study, participants will be instructed to continuously wear a wrist-worn fitness tracker, use a Bluetooth-enabled scale and blood pressure monitor to trend weight and blood pressure weekly, and utilize the Eureka mobile application for self-monitoring of dairy milk consumption, diet, lifestyle, and physical activity. Aside from study-related dairy milk instructions, all other aspects of diet will remain constant throughout study participation. The study seeks to elucidate the relationship between dairy milk consumption and overall health. A total of 110 participants will be enrolled for participation in this clinical trial.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.