DODGE Diabetes
Study title
DODGE: Dietary Optimisation as a Defence against Gestational Diabetes.
Background
Each year, 20 million pregnant women across the world, including 100,000 women in the UK, develop gestational diabetes, a condition which involves having high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. This can increase health risks for the mother and baby during pregnancy and later in life.
In pregnancy, the mother’s body changes so they can supply fuel and nutrients to the baby. The placenta, which supplies the baby with these nutrients, also produces hormones and some of these hormones can reduce how well the mother’s insulin, the hormone that takes glucose (sugar) into our cells, works. In most women, this change is balanced by making more insulin to keep blood glucose levels stable. However, some women can’t increase how much insulin they make, so blood glucose levels increase, causing gestational diabetes.
We don’t fully understand why some bodies can make more insulin in pregnancy, while others cannot. There are some genetic causes of this, which cannot be changed. However, there must also be non-genetic causes because only about half of women who have gestational diabetes have it again in their next pregnancy. Understanding non-genetic causes may help to find new ways of stopping gestational diabetes from developing and managing it when it does.
Study aims
This research study will run for 5 years in total and aims to make pregnancy a happy and healthier time for women at high risk of developing gestational diabetes. The study does not affect the routine antenatal care of participants. We hope to find out if changing diet and the balance between body fat and muscle in early pregnancy can change the way the body controls glucose levels.
Study summary
75 individuals who are 12 – 16 weeks pregnant and who are at high risk of developing gestational diabetes will be recruited into this randomised controlled trial. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive one of three nutritionally balanced diets; Reduced Calorie, Reduced Carbohydrate or a control diet. The diets will be provided and delivered free of charge from an industry partner and will replace the participant’s food intake, in full, for around 10 – 12 weeks. There will be four study visits during pregnancy which are designed to take place at the same time as routine antenatal care. The visits will involve having blood tests, undergoing a range of body measurements, answering some questionnaires, having an ultrasound scan and having an optional MRI scan. Data (and samples if consent is given) will be collected at delivery and we will follow-up the participants and their babies postnatally, at 3 months, 12 months and 24 months. Participants will be reimbursed for their time and travel.
Study progress
Due to open September 2026.
Funding and sponsorship
The University of Leicester is the Sponsor for this study. This research is funded by the Medical Research Council. We are conducting the research at University Hospitals of Leicester in conjunction with the Leicester Diabetes Centre.
Study publications
None yet.
Data Protection
Research team
Chief investigator: Professor Claire Meek
Trial Manager: Sylvia Brooks
If you are interested in taking part and would like more information, please email: uhl-tr.dodgediabetes@nhs.net