NCT07459504RecruitingPhase 2
SMART Diets for MASLD
A Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial of Diet Treatments for Hepatic Steatosis and Cardiometabolic Risk in Youth
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 1 Jun 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This phase 2 trial is a single-site sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial (SMART) to test and construct a high-quality adaptive intervention of essential amino acids (EAA) and/or Low Sugar Diet for children with metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and increased cardiometabolic risk. The basis for the trial includes high-quality pilot data in both EAA for hepatic steatosis and a low sugar diet for hepatic steatosis. In the trial, children aged 11-17 years old will be eligible to participate if their BMI is greater than or equal to 95th% at baseline and hepatic steatosis is greater than or equal to 8% at baseline by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Proton Density Fat Fraction (MRI-PDFF) because this is the most common age group diagnosed with metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Phase (registry)
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 102 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 17 Feb 2026
- Start date
- Jun 2026
- Primary completion date
- 26 Dec 2029
- Lead sponsor
- Michigan State University
- Diseases
- Fatty liver disease (MASLD/MASH)
- NCT number
- NCT07459504
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional · Phase 2
- Planned participants: 102
- From Jun 2026 to the primary completion date, 26 Dec 2029
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Use of medications known to cause liver steatosis (TPN, amiodarone, chronic oral steroids, etc.)
- Patients who have been enrolled in a recent clinical trial and had the last dose of investigational product within 30 days or 5 half-lives of the study drug, whichever is longer.
Other illness
- Patients diagnosed with or suspected to have a chronic liver disease other than MASLD by screening labs or evaluation (i.e autoimmune, viral). Screening labs are defined as: Hepatitis B surface antigen, Hepatitis C virus total antibody, IgG, ceruloplasmin, and alpha 1 antitrypsin phenotype.
- Cancer or history of cancer within 5 years
- Severe illness that required hospitalization in the last 60 days
- Intellectual disability or major psychiatric disorder limiting informed assent
- Compensated or decompensated cirrhosis with evidence of portal hypertension.
Lab values
- Patients with Diagnosed Type 2 or Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) or HbA1c of \>6.5 mg/dL at baseline
- Clinical evidence of cirrhosis or advanced liver disease by any one of the following abnormal labs: (Hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL, White blood cell less than 3,500 cells/mm, Neutrophil count less than 1,500 cells/mm3 of blood, Platelets less than 130,000 cells/mm3 of blood, Direct bilirubin greater than 1.0 mg/dL)
- Elevated total bilirubin except if known to have Gilbert's syndrome and direct bilirubin in normal range.
- Albumin less than 3.2 g/dL
- A history of international normalized ratio (INR) greater than 1.4
- AST or ALT greater than 250 IU/dL.
Other
- Patients unable to complete MRI or Labs required for the study.
- Current participation in another clinical trial
- Current participation in a weight loss program or obesity treatment program or clinic
- Patients with implanted metal devices that are not compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Patients is pregnant or breastfeeding.
Who the study is looking for
- Children 11 to 17-years-old at the time of consenting
- Hepatic Steatosis by MRI greater than or equal to 8% on baseline MRI
- At least 1 of the following cardiometabolic risk factors: BMI greater than or equal to 85th percentile for age/sex or WC greater than 95th percentile, Abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels, Blood pressure BP greater than or equal to 95th percentile OR greater than or equal to 130/80 and/or signs of insulin resistance (Acanthosis Nigricans OR HOMA-IR of greater 2.0 and greater 2.6 in prepubertal and pubertal children, respectively, Fasting Insulin Level of 10 pIU/mL in prepubertal children and of 17 pIU/mL and 13 pIU/mL in pubertal girls and boys, respectively, OR Prediabetes)
- ALT greater than or equal to 40 U/L
- Currently consumes greater than or equal to 2 eight-ounce sugar drinks (or juice) per week.
- Patients of childbearing potential agrees to use adequate one or more effective methods of contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation.
- Patients who are taking medications that can affect insulin (e.g., metformin, corticosteroids), most be on a stable dosage for at least 3 months prior to enrollment of the trial.
- Written informed consent from parent or legal guardian, assent from child.
Age in the registry: 11 years to 17 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corewell Health West Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Grand Rapids | United States | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.