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Adrenal InsufficiencyNCT00575029

Adrenal Suppression and Adrenal Recovery Induced by Megestrol Acetate

A study testing megestrol acetate in people with Adrenal Insufficiency, run by University of Arkansas at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Megestrol Acetate (MA) is a progesterone-like hormone that has been utilized as a birth control agent, chemotherapeutic drug, and more recently, to induce appetite and weight gain in patients malnourished as a result of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cystic fibrosis, AIDS, or dementia. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 65 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Adrenal Insufficiency
What is being tested?
megestrol acetate
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
7 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Apr 2004to Dec 2004
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 65 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Elderly males and females
  • Age 65-80 years
  • With stable (no history of urgent/ emergent care visits with health care provider/s in the preceding 2 months), medical conditions

Who cannot join

  • Subjects will be excluded if they have a history of (H/O):
  • Dementia
  • Adrenal disease
  • Thromboembolism
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Liver disease
Show all 13Show fewer
  • Electrolyte abnormalities; or
  • Vaginal bleeding
  • Hypertriglyceridemia
  • CAD with CHF
  • Unstable depression
  • Schizophrenia; and
  • Morbidly obese subjects.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Arkansas For Medical Sciences

    Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Evaluation of the Time Course of Adrenal Suppression and Adrenal Recovery After Ingestion of Megestrol Acetate

Megestrol Acetate (MA) is a progesterone-like hormone that has been utilized as a birth control agent, chemotherapeutic drug, and more recently, to induce appetite and weight gain in patients malnourished as a result of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cystic fibrosis, AIDS, or dementia. The mechanism of MA-stimulated appetite and weight gain is unknown.

Although only approved to combat weight loss associated with AIDS and cancer, MA is frequently prescribed for long periods of time to prevent or reverse weight loss in nursing home residents and in elderly patients with serious illnesses in the community. Little data is available to support this practice. Among its many properties, MA acts as a partial glucocorticoid agonist, and long term and short term use of MA may results in adrenal suppression. The rapidity of the onset of MA-induced adrenal suppression and the time course of resumption of normal adrenal function after discontinuation of MA is completely unknown. As a consequence, it is unclear whether MA can be given safely for short periods of time or whether glucocorticoid administration is necessary after abruptly stopping MA treatment. The increased use of MA in the frail elderly, where even partial adrenal insufficiency may pose a substantial risk of adrenal crisis after an illness, requires a clear understanding of these issues. To address these concerns, we will evaluate adrenal function before, during, and after MA administration in healthy volunteers between the ages of 60 and 85 years.

Being tested
megestrol acetate
Keywords
megestrol acetate, adrenal insufficiency, adrenal suppression
Medical subject headings
Adrenal Insufficiency

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • megestrol acetateDrug

    600 mg by mouth daily

Study groups in NCT00575029
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
megace treatmentExperimentalStudy subjects will be given 600mg of MA for oral ingestion per day for duration of 8 weeks. They will be monitored every week clinically for the development of adrenal insufficiency by review of symptoms, physical exam, body weight, pulse, and blood pressure. Subjects also will undergo biochemical evaluation of adrenal status every two weeks by measurement of serum electrolytes, serum cortisol, serum adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) levels, and the adrenal response to a low dose ACTH (1µgm) stimulation test(see methods).
Receives: Drug: megestrol acetate

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Number of Participants With Adrenal Insufficiency

    Number of participants with adrenal insufficiency after treatment with megestrol acetate assessed by ACTH stimulated cortisol levels less than normal (21 ug/dl) measured weekly for 8 weeks or when adrenal insufficiency is clinically encountered

    Measured: stimulated acth stimulated cortisol levels weekly for 8 weeks or until adrenal insufficiency is encountered

  2. Time Required for Recovery From Adrenal Suppression to Normal Adrenal Function

    the number of weeks required for participants to recover from adrenal suppression as assessed by a normal ACTH stimulation test (cortisol level >21 mcg/dl)

    Measured: weekly for up to 6 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Dec 2007 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2004
  3. Primary completionDec 2004
  4. Study completionDec 2004

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Health services research
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
7 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00575029
Sponsor's protocol ID
26835
Status last verified
Jul 2011
First submitted
13 Dec 2007
Last updated
29 Aug 2011
Data monitoring committee
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing megestrol acetate in people with Adrenal Insufficiency, run by University of Arkansas at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Aug 2011. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 29 Aug 2011). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Number of Participants With Adrenal Insufficiency (time frame: stimulated acth stimulated cortisol levels weekly for 8 weeks or until adrenal insufficiency is encountered). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Aug 2011.

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