Evidence mapPaperPMID 20061429Full record

Trial reportThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2010

Fenofibrate reduces systemic inflammation markers independent of its effects on lipid and glucose metabolism in patients with the metabolic syndrome.

Renata Belfort, Rachele Berria, John Cornell, Kenneth Cusi

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 77 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
77citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
9.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

77 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 160 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Leptin signaling in breast cancer and its crosstalk with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors α and γ.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2023
    Pooled it
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  6. Diabetes · 2020
    Trial
  7. Metabolic Inflexibility with Obesity and the Effects of Fenofibrate on Skeletal Muscle Fatty Acid Oxidation.Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme · 2017
    Trial
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  12. Review
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  14. Current perspectives on lipid management in diabetic kidney disease: Can fibrates offer advantages over statins for renal outcomes?Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences · 2026
    Review
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  16. Article
  17. Review
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17 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Renata BelfortThe University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Diabetes Division, Room 3.380S, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78284-3900, USA.
Rachele Berria
John Cornell
Kenneth Cusi
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio · US

Funding

Howard Hughes Medical InstituteNCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000149NCRR NIH HHS 1RR025767NCRR NIH HHS UL1 RR025767
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextFenofibrate is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonist widely used in clinical practice, but its mechanism of action is incompletely understood.

objectiveThe aim of the study was to assess whether improvement in subclinical inflammation or glucose metabolism contributes to its antiatherogenic effects in insulin-resistant subjects with the metabolic syndrome (MetS). DESIGN AND

settingWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in the research unit at an academic center. PATIENTS: We studied 25 nondiabetic insulin-resistant MetS subjects. INTERVENTION(S): We administered fenofibrate (200 mg/d) and placebo for 12 wk.

main outcome measuresBefore and after treatment, we measured plasma lipids/apolipoproteins, inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, IL-6, intercellular adhesion molecule/vascular cell adhesion molecule), adipocytokines (adiponectin, TNFalpha, leptin), and insulin secretion (oral glucose tolerance test). We also assessed adipose tissue, hepatic and peripheral (muscle) insulin resistance fasting and during a euglycemic insulin clamp with (3)H glucose and (14)C palmitate infusion combined with indirect calorimetry.

resultsSubjects displayed severe insulin resistance and systemic inflammation. Fenofibrate significantly reduced plasma triglyceride, apolipoprotein (apo) CII, apo CIII, and apo E (all P < 0.01), with a modest increase in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (+12%; P = 0.06). Fenofibrate markedly decreased plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein by 49.5 +/- 8% (P = 0.005) and IL-6 by 29.8 +/- 7% (P = 0.03) vs. placebo. However, neither insulin secretion nor adipose tissue, hepatic or muscle insulin sensitivity or glucose/lipid oxidation improved with treatment. Adiponectin and TNF-alpha levels were also unchanged. Improvement in plasma markers of vascular/systemic inflammation was dissociated from changes in triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, apo CII/CIII, or free fatty acid concentrations or insulin secretion/insulin sensitivity.

conclusionsIn subjects with the MetS, fenofibrate reduces systemic inflammation independent of improvements in lipoprotein metabolism and without changing insulin sensitivity. This suggests a direct peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha-mediated effect of fenofibrate on inflammatory pathways, which may be important for the prevention of CVD in high-risk patients.

Indexed as

AdultC-Reactive ProteinDouble-Blind MethodFatty Acids, NonesterifiedFemaleFenofibrateGlucoseHumansHypolipidemic AgentsInsulin ResistanceInterleukin-6Lipid MetabolismLipolysisLiverMaleMetabolic SyndromeC-Reactive ProteinFatty Acids, NonesterifiedFenofibrateGlucoseHypolipidemic AgentsInterleukin-6PPAR alpha

Identifiers

PMID20061429
PMCPMC2840858
OpenAlexW2159962535

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.