Researchers have published a plan for a new clinical trial that will test two lifestyle changes for people with type 2 diabetes who do not need insulin. The trial will include 344 adults. They will be asked to eat all their meals within an 8-hour window that ends by 5 p.m. (called early time-restricted eating). Some will also receive bright light therapy for 90 minutes each day before 3 p.m., and they will wear blue-light-blocking glasses and use blackout curtains at night to improve their sleep and body rhythms.
The main goal is to see if these changes improve blood sugar control, measured by HbA1c and 24-hour glucose levels. The researchers will also look at daily rhythms of melatonin and cortisol, and how glucose uptake changes throughout the day. The intensive part of the study lasts 16 weeks, and participants will be checked again one year later.
This is a protocol, meaning the study has not been done yet. No results are available, so we don't know if these approaches will work. The trial is designed to find out if they do.
For now, this news is about a planned study, not a proven treatment. People with type 2 diabetes should continue to follow their doctor's advice and not change their eating or light exposure based on this protocol alone.
