Feeding schedule may reset body clocks in ICU patients
NCT ID NCT07063303
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether giving tube feedings every 4-6 hours (intermittent) instead of continuously could improve the internal body clocks of 24 critically ill ICU patients. Researchers measured gene activity related to circadian rhythm and metabolic markers from blood samples. The goal is to see if a simple change in feeding timing can help patients recover better.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- intermittent enteral feeding
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple feeding schedule change that helps ICU patients recover better by stabilizing their internal body clock.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early study with only 24 participants. It only measures gene expression and metabolic markers, not actual recovery outcomes, so results may not lead to clear clinical changes.
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
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24 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Finished
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Sep 2025
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * ICU admission for enteral feeding via a gastric tube * Expected ≥10 days of enteral nutrition * Age ≥18 years Exclusion Criteria: * Age \<18 years * Pregnancy * Gastrointestinal surgery or diseases * Tolerance issues with enteral feeding * Parenteral feeding requirement
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Ankara Training and Research Hospital
Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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