Lack of sleep may trigger diabetes through hormone changes
NCT ID NCT02256865
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study looked at how not getting enough sleep changes hormones like cortisol and testosterone, and whether that leads to insulin resistance—a key step toward type 2 diabetes. Forty healthy men aged 22-45 took part. Researchers used drugs to mimic or block these hormone changes to understand the connection.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ketoconazole, Hydrocortisone, Testosterone, and placebos
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help explain why poor sleep increases diabetes risk, pointing toward ways to prevent it.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study with only 40 men. It is designed to understand mechanisms, not to test a treatment, so direct health benefits are not expected.
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
-
Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
-
40 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
-
Oct 2014
- Finished
-
Oct 2023
- 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
-
22 to 45 years
- Sex
-
Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Men aged 22-45 years * Willingness to provide written informed consent * Stable weight over preceding 6 weeks * Body Mass index (BMI) 20-28 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: * Unable or unwilling to provide IRB-approved informed consent * Clinical disorders and/or illnesses * Current medical or drug treatment, as assessed by questionnaire * History of brain injury or of learning disability * Vision or hearing impairment unless corrected back to normal * Anemia (Hct \<38%) * History of psychiatric illness * Clinically significant abnormalities in blood and urine, and free of traces of drugs Other endocrine abnormalities including hypothyroidism or adrenal failure; primary gonadal disease as indicated by serum LH or FSH concentration \>10 or \>15 IU/L, respectively, hyperprolactinemia indicated by prolactin \>25ug/L * Type 2 Diabetes (HgbA1C) * Current smoker * Recent or concurrent drug or alcohol abuse * Blood donation in previous eight weeks * Travel across time zones within one month of entering the study * Sleep or circadian disorder * Shift work within three months of entering the study * Irregular bedtimes (not between 6 and 10 hours in duration) * Unoperated obstructive uropathy, recurrent prostatitis, indeterminate prostatic nodularity, Hx or Suspicion of cancer of the prostate gland or PSA \>4ng/ml * Previous adverse reaction to sleep deprivation or any of the drugs to be administered * Concurrent participation in another research study
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Insulin resistance are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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
-
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute
Torrance, California, 90509, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Insulin may quiet the immune alarm tied to heart disease
- Can weightlifting beat cardio for blood sugar in pregnancy?
- Strawberries as medicine? trial tests whether the fruit can calm inflammation and boost insulin response
- Can cutting carbs curb metabolic syndrome in teens?
- A pill that could replace the needle: new test for insulin reserve
- Could a ketogenic diet reshape metabolism and thyroid health in women?