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Ascend plus clinical trial

E

EMcKT

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I have been invited to take part in this clinical trial because I fit the parameters of the study.....over 65 and type 2 diabetic.
The aim of the study is to find out whether oral semaglutide can prevent heart and circulation problems in " a broad range of people living with type 2 diabetes who have never had a heart attack or stroke". Now I have taken part in trials before and where would we be if nobody did it, but I'm in two minds. Working on the presumption that I would have to change or add in new medication, I'm not keen. At present I'm on 2 x 500 mg Metformin daily as well as my basic meds and I'm fine. Next Hba1c is not due till March, B12 Jag is Monday.......and may have bloods done sooner.
I am asking if anyone else has had this request and what do others think? I know it's my decision but am interested in opinions.
 
What was your last HbA1c result @EMcKT? If there's an opportunity to bring your levels down lower, perhaps it might just be worth a try?
 
Down from 94 to 51, last done in September. Weight loss was originally about one stone, sorry don't do kilos, but I am what I am.......just over 13 stone. I'm not huge, and have never been skinny, it's not in my gene pool, could possibly shift a few more pounds but weight loss is not as important to me as others.........don't think I have worded that very well and I don't mean to offend. I was just interested in others opinions.......
 
I don't qualify for the trial but would probably volunteer if I did.

I think the important thing is that you should be fully happy with the trial and it sounds like you're not. On that basis I'd say don't do it.
 
I wouldn't particularly relish going on more medication if I had managed to get my HbA1C down to 51 by what I had been doing already.
 
Leadinglights said:
I wouldn't particularly relish going on more medication if I had managed to get my HbA1C down to 51 by what I had been doing already.
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Exactly what I was going to reply with!
 
@EMcKT if you were struggling to get your HbA1C down you would have very little to lose, but your doing great as you are, so in short and in my opinion, don't bother
 
There is no guarantee that should the trial be succesful that your meds would be changed. My brother went on a trial for Parkinson’s meds. His symptoms improved dramatically, but the trial finished, NICE had not approved the medication and he sadly died a year later.
 
Thank you all for your thoughts. I think I shall mull it over , look at the website and go from there. I feel a tad guilty, and I can pull out at any point but that's just a waste of everyones time if I go into it feeling as I do.
 
Let us know what you decide. When do you have to make a decision by?
 
There does not seem to be a date as such, although my details are deleted after 30 days from the communications company. I think I shall fill in the form given , then there is a selection process but I will be given more details of the trial and see what that entails. Its seems to be about five years!!!! ........
 
The wanting to help would make me want to . However to work some of the people will get a placebo. I haven't worked out all the potential medication. I was diagnosed in July with lower reading of 64 and in September put on an SGLT2 which makes me pee a lot. I then got a statin 2 weeks later which has coincided with stiffness and aching bones
I was taken off a diuretic I take for high blood pressure as the SGLT2 has a similar effect. However I had a sceptic finger a fortnight ago went to a walk in centre and my blood pressure was an eye-watering 198 over 103. I've had the original pill added and it is normal again. I went low carb at the start of my journey 80 to 130 and have gone from 13st 12 ( i used to make sure i didnt hit 14) to 11stone 7. I was last 11 stone when the menopause hit at 41 so I am pleased
Have still eaten WI cottage pie but have cut out pies at the moment. However I enjoy frittata and still have a piece of bread with soup. Because of the SGLT2 I'm not now as careful with low carb. Ideally I would be 10 stone but I'm not convinced it will happen. I used to have occasional stabs at the Fplan but this is the first time I've shifted the weight that settled during the menopause.
hopefully GP can give advice of how changes may affect you. You are clearly happy and stable at the moment.
 
It's being given the placebo that bothers me......I once did a BP trial with the usual use of a placebo........within a couple of weeks I had all the symptoms that I had had on a previous medication so knew that it was NOT the placebo I had been given and came out of the trial immediately.
I have not been 11stone since I was married......clocked up the 50 years this year, so doubt I'd get into the dress again!!!!!
 
Decison made. Sat down to fill in the form, not online at this stage, and promptly knocked over my coffee......all over the form and the envelope!!!!!!!!!!!!!*!!!!!!!! That's that then. Would not dream of drying it off and sending it now.
 
I always like it when a difficult decision is made for me! 🙂
 
EMcKT said:
Decison made. Sat down to fill in the form, not online at this stage, and promptly knocked over my coffee......all over the form and the envelope!!!!!!!!!!!!!*!!!!!!!! That's that then. Would not dream of drying it off and sending it now.
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I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason! :thankyou:
 
I gave my lovely white wedding dress from 1971 which was in a strong cardboard box in our loft away to a friend who was starring as Beauty in the Wolverley Parish Am. Dram. Soc. Xmas panto at the end of the 1980s. Cracking and enjoyable production, they really were excellent with such things at that time. You had trouble booking the village hall for anything unless you made the reservation and paid the deposit practically 12 months in advance.

No way Pedro can I get in a size 10 now! Nor even have the patience or dexterity to get all those little pearly buttons down the back or on the cuffs of the leg o' mutton sleeves ......
 
Anna DUK said:
I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason! :thankyou:
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I'm a strong believer that things often happen by chance: for example, I don't think that I developed diabetes because I've been a bad person (in this life or in a previous one) or that it's God 'testing' me in some way.
 
CliffH said:
I'm a strong believer that things often happen by chance: for example, I don't think that I developed diabetes because I've been a bad person (in this life or in a previous one) or that it's God 'testing' me in some way.
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That's also a healthy way to think of things. :star:
 
Thanks @EMcKT for raising this. I, too, have been invited, and qualify, but am hesitant because it is apparently a drug that can induce weight loss, and I don't have any to lose (lucky me, I hear people say). I also wonder what monitoring they put in place, and if there are contra-indications for Sitagliptin, the treatment I am on. I have emailed the ASCENDPLUS team with some questions, before taking the plunge.
In principle, I support participating in clinical trials, but what if this disturbs the balance I have achieved?
 
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