Education, Counseling, and Drug Therapy to Reduce Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a serious condition involving abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism and obesity; these symptoms are associated with a two- to fourfold increased risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The dietary supplement being investigated in this study is a natural product designed to reduce metabolic syndrome by decreasing hunger, increasing energy, and improving insulin function. This study will last 12 weeks. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three arms. Participants in Arm 1 will receive the supplement; participants in Arm 2 will have a 50% chance of receiving either the supplement or placebo; participants in Arm 3 will receive placebo. Participants will take their assigned pills 3 times daily for 12 weeks. A follow-up visit will occur at the end of the 12 weeks; there will be a debriefing visit shortly after the follow-up visit. Participants in all 3 arms will receive weekly education and counseling sessions on healthy lifestyle changes to encourage weight loss. Blood collection will occur at study start and at the end of 12 weeks for assessment of fasting blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and levels of certain hormones. Participants will also be asked to complete questionnaires at study entry and at Week 12; the questionnaires will assess depression, stress, self-absorption, optimism, food cravings, hunger, the degree to which participants seek pleasure from activities, and participants' thoughts about their ability to make behavioral changes.