Timing your meals and light exposure may tame type 2 diabetes

NCT ID NCT04155619

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 ยท Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether eating all meals earlier in the day and getting bright light therapy at specific times can improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Researchers measured blood sugar, insulin, and other health markers in 190 participants. The goal was to see if these simple daily habits could help manage diabetes and improve overall health.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

190 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2021

Finished

Apr 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

30 to 80 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 30-80 years old * Have type 2 diabetes * HbA1c between 5.7 - 12.0% * On a stable dose of metformin, DPP-IV inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, and/or GLP-1 receptor agonists for at least 6 weeks, or taking no diabetes medications * Wake up at a regular time between 5-9 am Exclusion Criteria: * On insulin or diabetes medication other than metformin, DPP-IV inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, and/or GLP-1 receptor agonists * Have type 1 diabetes or was diagnosed with diabetes before age 18 * Moderate or severe retinopathy or other medical condition that may affect the ability to safely receive bright light therapy * A history of severe hypoglycemia * Change in the dosage of a chronic medication within the past month (need to wait at least 1 month prior to baseline visit) * Have a clinically significant laboratory abnormality (e.g., abnormal hemoglobin levels) * Severe gastrointestinal disease, major gastrointestinal surgery, or active gallstone disease * Cardiovascular, renal, cardiac, liver, lung, adrenal, or nervous system disease that is unstable or may compromise study validity * Evidence of cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer) within the last 5 years * Pregnant or breastfeeding * Current diagnosis of a major psychiatric condition that would impair study participation * Diagnosed sleep disorder or circadian disorder that is not stabilized (sleep apnea is allowed). Those with narcolepsy will not be included. * Major changes in health or medical history in the last 3 months that could affect data validity per judgement of the study physician * Spend an average of more than 1.5 hours/day outdoors * Perform overnight shift work more than 1 day/week on average * Regularly eat within a less than a 10-hour period daily * Regularly finish eating dinner before 6:30 pm * Lost or gained more than 8 lbs within the last 2 months and weight needs to be stable for a minimum of 4 weeks before baseline testing * Traveled more than two times zones away in the two months prior to enrolling in the trial or will travel more than two time zones away during the 16-week study

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Intermittent Fasting type 2 diabetes mellitus

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center

    Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States

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