← Back to Clinical Trials
Recruiting Phase 4 NCT04575844

NCT04575844 Effects of Exercise and GLP-1 Agonism on Muscle Microvascular Perfusion and Insulin Action in Adults With Metabolic Syndrome

◆ AI Clinical Summary
Plain-language summary for patients
Clinical Trial Summary
NCT ID NCT04575844
Status Recruiting
Phase Phase 4
Sponsor University of Virginia
Condition Metabolic Syndrome
Study Type INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment 80 participants
Start Date 2020-11-01
Primary Completion 2027-04-30

Eligibility & Interventions

Sex All sexes
Min Age 21 Years
Max Age 60 Years
Study Type INTERVENTIONAL
Interventions
LiraglutideExercise trainingLiraglutide + Exercise training

Eligibility Fast-Check

Enter your details for a quick preliminary check. This does not replace medical advice.

What to Expect as a Participant

You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.

Phase 4 studies follow an already-approved treatment in real-world conditions to monitor long-term safety and effectiveness.

This trial targets 80 participants in total. It began in 2020-11-01 with a primary completion date of 2027-04-30.

⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.

Brief Summary

The primary objective of this study is to examine whether exercise training alone, liraglutide treatment alone or exercise training plus liraglutide treatment increases cardiac and skeletal muscle microvascular blood volume, improves vascular function of the conduit vessels, and enhances insulin's metabolic action in humans with Metabolic Syndrome. Subjects will be randomized to one of the 4 groups: control, exercise training, liraglutide treatment, and exercise + liraglutide. They will be studied at the baseline and then after 24 weeks of intervention.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female ≥21 and ≤60 years old. * Body mass index \>25 and ≤35 kg/m2 and is weight stable (\<5 kg weight change in the past 6 months). BMI is limited to ≤35 kg/m2 for easier vascular access and cardiac imaging. * Meet 3 of 5 National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III Metabolic Syndrome criteria: * Increased waist circumference (≥102 cm in men; ≥88 cm in women) * Elevated triglycerides (≥150 mg/dl) * Reduced HDL-cholesterol (\<40mg/dl in men, \<50 mg/dl in women) * High blood pressure (≥130 mmHg systolic or ≥85mmHg diastolic) * Elevated fasting glucose (≥100 mg/dl) * Subject may participate if on the following drugs, provided the drug doses have been stable for at least 3 months. * Ace inhibitor * ARB * HMG CoA reductase inhibitor * Beta blocker * Calcium channel blockers * Alpha-adrenergic antagonist * Statin Exclusion Criteria: * A diagnosis of any type of diabetes or history of diabetes medication use * Recently active (\>20 min of moderate/high intensity exercise, 2 times/week) * Subjects who are smokers or who have quit smoking \<5 years * Subjects with hypertriglyceridemia (\>400 mg/dl) or hypercholesterolemia (\>260 mg/dl) * Subjects with BP\>160/90 * Subjects with a history of significant metabolic, cardiac, cerebrovascular, hematological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, liver, renal, or endocrine disease or malignancy * Pregnant (as evidenced by positive pregnancy test) or nursing women * Subjects with contraindications to participation in an exercise training program * Allergic to perflutren * A prior use of Liraglutide

Contact & Investigator

Central Contact

Lee Hartline, MEd

✉ lmh9d@virginia.edu

📞 434-924-5247

Principal Investigator

Zhenqi Liu, MD

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Virginia

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join the NCT04575844 clinical trial?

This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 21 Years or older, up to 60 Years, studying Metabolic Syndrome. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.

What phase is the NCT04575844 trial and what does that mean for participants?

Phase 4 studies are conducted after a treatment has been approved. They monitor long-term safety and real-world effectiveness in a broader patient population.

Is NCT04575844 currently recruiting?

Yes, NCT04575844 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at lmh9d@virginia.edu for enrollment information.

Where is the NCT04575844 trial being conducted?

This trial is being conducted at Charlottesville, United States.

Who is sponsoring the NCT04575844 clinical trial?

NCT04575844 is sponsored by University of Virginia. The principal investigator is Zhenqi Liu, MD at Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Virginia. The trial plans to enroll 80 participants.

Related Trials

ClinicalMetric — Independent clinical trial intelligence platform. Not affiliated with NIH, ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. FDA, or any pharmaceutical company, hospital, or clinical research organization. Trial data is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Do not make any treatment, enrollment, or health decisions based solely on information found here — always consult a qualified healthcare professional. Full Disclaimer  ·  Last Reviewed: September 2026  ·  Data Methodology