CHARLOTTE, NC

Prediabetes and Metabolic Syndrome Clinical Trials

No prediabetes study is enrolling inside the Charlotte metro yet, and we would rather say so plainly. However, the biggest one has a site about 80 miles away and runs almost entirely remotely. Free heart imaging and no insurance needed. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.

In Charlotte Today

Miles to the Nearest

+/- $100

Per Visit

New here? Read how this page works

Here is the honest picture. No prediabetes study is open inside Charlotte today. However, the nearest one is unusually light on visits. So here is how to work through this page.

Check your age first. Because the nearest study wants men over 55 and women over 65, and that rule catches people out.
Then read what it actually asks. Notably, it is about one in person visit across three and a half years.
Skip the Veterans study unless you served. In fact, it also requires proven artery disease alongside the prediabetes.
Finally, put your name in. Because that is how we know to call you the day a study opens inside Charlotte.

Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.

Prediabetes Studies Nearest to Charlotte Right Now

Nothing is open inside the metro. However, one large study sits about 80 miles away and asks for roughly one visit.

The nearest one, and it barely asks anything

Winston-Salem is about 80 miles northeast. Notably, after the scan almost everything is done by phone, so the drive happens about once.

A Heart Scan That Decides Your Treatment

Cleerly with CPC Clinical Research / Imaging strategy

A heart scan measures the plaque actually building in your arteries, then gives you a stage. This asks whether treating people on what the scan shows beats going by risk factors alone.

Late stage, 7,500 people No placebo

Payment is not published. However, there is only about one in person visit.

See if you fit →

More details

Why researchers are excited: doctors now guess your heart risk from your age and your numbers, which both over treats and misses people.

Who this study is looking for

Men over 55, or women over 65
Also, prediabetes, or metabolic syndrome, or type 2 diabetes on medicine
Besides that, no symptoms of heart disease and no known heart disease
Finally, you own a phone, tablet or computer, because a central team manages your medicines remotely

Probably not a fit if: you have already had a heart attack, a stroke, a stent or a bypass, or your kidney function is under 60, or you weigh over 300 pounds, which is the scanner limit.

Placebo group: None at all. Instead, everybody gets real care, and the coin flip only decides whether the scan guides it.
How long: About 3 and a half years on average.
Clinic visits: Roughly 1 or 2 in person, which is rare for a study this long. You can sign up online, and a central team handles your medicines by phone. So the scan is the main trip.
Phone calls: Yes, and that is the point. Almost everything after the scan is done by phone.
Most invasive part: A heart scan with a drip line and dye, plus a pill on the day to slow your heart. But no catheter goes in.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Wake Forest, Winston-Salem NC 27157.
Drive from Charlotte: Winston-Salem is about 80 miles northeast, so roughly an hour and a half on I-85 and US-52.
Read the ages twice: men must be over 55 but women must be over 65. So a 58 year old woman with textbook metabolic syndrome is not eligible.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Worth knowing about, but not for most readers

One of these is open to Veterans only. Also, the other runs at a single site in California. We list both so you can see the whole picture.

An Old Cheap Pill, Tested Before Diabetes Starts

US Department of Veterans Affairs / Drug

Metformin is a cheap diabetes pill that has been used for decades. This tests whether taking it during prediabetes, when you already have artery disease, prevents heart attacks and strokes.

Late stage, already approved drug Veterans only

Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.

See if you fit →

More details

Why researchers are excited: if a generic pill this cheap prevents heart attacks, it would be one of the most scalable findings in years.

Who this study is looking for

Prediabetes, with an A1C between 5.7 and 6.4
Also, proven artery disease in the heart, the neck arteries or the legs
Besides that, kidney function of 45 or above
Finally, you are a Veteran able to consent

Probably not a fit if: you have taken metformin or another diabetes medicine in the last 12 months, or you have liver disease, or you have any history of memory trouble.

Placebo group: Yes, half get an identical dummy pill. However, everybody gets lifestyle coaching and keeps their usual medicines.
How long: About 4 and a half years on average.
Clinic visits: Not published on the public record. Every published time point simply reads about 4.5 years. Still, the dose is raised gradually, so expect early visits for that.
Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
Most invasive part: Blood draws, and possibly a glucose drink test with timed draws.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia SC 29209.
Drive from Charlotte: The Dorn VA is in Columbia SC, about 90 miles south.
Read this first: Veterans only, and you also need proven artery disease alongside the prediabetes. So most people who read this page will not qualify.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Changing When You Eat, Not What You Eat (TIMET 2.0)

University of California San Diego with the Salk Institute / Behavioral

You do not change what you eat. You only change when, by fitting all food and drink into a set window each day. This checks whether a full year of that improves blood sugar, cholesterol and body fat.

Mid stage, testing whether it lasts Not near you

Payment is not published. Notably, it runs at a single site in California.

Get on the list →

More details

Why researchers are excited: the same team’s 3 month study cut A1C and cholesterol without cutting calories or losing muscle.

Who this study is looking for

Adults 18 to 75 with an A1C between 5.7 and 7.0
Also, metabolic syndrome, meaning at least 3 of five markers
Besides that, you currently eat and drink across a window of 12 hours or more each day
Finally, you own a smartphone and will log every food and drink in the study app

Probably not a fit if: you take insulin, or you work night or rotating shifts, or you have any history of an eating disorder.

Placebo group: None at all. One group changes their eating window and the other does not. Also, everybody keeps their medicines.
How long: About 54 weeks, so a little over a year.
Clinic visits: Roughly 6 to 9, built around three check points at the start, 6 months and 12 months. Each one means a fitting and a removal visit two weeks later.
Phone calls: Not published, but you log food in an app every day for a year.
Most invasive part: A body scan and a glucose drink test with blood draws. Also, a small sensor sits under the skin of your arm.
Setting: Outpatient.
Where it runs: Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute, La Jolla CA 92093.
Worth knowing: your habits have to be loose enough to qualify. So if you already eat inside an 11 hour window, you are out, because there is nothing to shrink.
Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Not sure which one fits you?

First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we keep your answers on file. Finally, we call you when a prediabetes study opens near Charlotte. No account, no paperwork.

See if I may fit one of these studies →

✓ Takes just a few minutes✓ No cost, no obligation✓ You are never enrolled by checking

Why Prediabetes Research Matters Here in Charlotte

The number nobody explains

Somebody gets bloodwork for something else entirely. Then a nurse mentions their sugar is a little high. They are told to watch it, and nothing else happens for three years. Nobody uses the word prediabetes in that conversation, though. Instead, they say it is borderline. Also, they say to cut back on sweet tea. Then that is the end of it.

What is actually being studied here

Gastonia, Rock Hill, Monroe, Kannapolis, Concord. Prediabetes is everywhere in those towns, and almost nobody knows they have it. However, the research has moved past that question. So the studies now open are not asking whether diabetes can be stopped, because that was answered. In fact, they are asking whether preventing it also prevents heart attacks and strokes.

So why is there nothing to join inside Charlotte?

It has no symptoms. Prediabetes does not send anybody to a doctor. So sign ups are hard, and sponsors go where they already test for it.
Prevention studies run long. Four years or more is normal, because you wait for events. Meanwhile, that makes each site costly.
The nearest is not far. Winston-Salem is about 80 miles, and that study needs roughly one visit. So the drive is less of a barrier than usual.
Sponsors start where they already have sites. A company opens where it has run studies before. So a metro can be skipped for years for no medical reason.
The rules are narrow. Many of these studies want a very specific patient. However, that cuts both ways, because being unusual sometimes opens a door.

Research is a care option, not a last resort

There is a saying in medicine that research is a care option rather than a last resort. Generally, that is the honest way to think about a study. You are not giving up your own doctor. Instead, you are adding a second set of eyes. Notably, one study here gives you a full picture of your own heart arteries, which almost nobody gets.

What being on the list actually gets you

This is a directory, not a clinic. So being on the list is simple and it costs nothing.

What you actually get

A call from us the day a study opens near you
The clinic name and number, so you call them yourself
A check against every other study on our list, not just this one
No cost, and no insurance needed
Roughly $100 a visit for your time, once you are in a study
You are never enrolled by checking

Add it up. Right now there is nothing inside Charlotte, and we will not pretend otherwise. Meanwhile, one large study sits an hour and a half away and asks for roughly one trip. So the useful thing this page can do is be straight about the distance and tell you when that changes.

What Is Actually Being Tested for Prediabetes

The question has changed, and that is the interesting part.

Prediabetes and Metabolic Syndrome Are Not the Same Thing

Prediabetes is a number. An A1C of 5.7 to 6.4, a fasting glucose of 100 to 125, or a 2 hour glucose of 140 to 199. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster instead. You have it when three or more of these show up together. A large waist, high triglycerides, low HDL, high blood pressure and high fasting glucose. So you can have either one without the other, though plenty of people have both.

Most People Who Have It Do Not Know

The CDC puts it at 115.2 million American adults, which is more than two in five. Then comes the part that matters. Roughly 8 in 10 of them do not know they have it. That is not their fault, because prediabetes has no symptoms at all. In fact, the driver underneath is usually insulin resistance, which runs quietly for years before any number looks wrong.

The Old Question Has Been Answered

For decades the question was whether type 2 diabetes could be prevented at all. The Diabetes Prevention Program has now followed people for an average of 22 years, and the protection held. Lifestyle change cut diabetes risk by 25 percent and metformin cut it by 18. As David Nathan of Massachusetts General Hospital put it, prevention of type 2 diabetes is possible and has important clinical benefits.

The New Question Is Harder

Preventing a diagnosis is one thing. Preventing a heart attack is another. So the largest studies now running ask whether treating prediabetes actually prevents heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. As Pam Taub of UC San Diego put it, metabolic syndrome paired with prediabetes is a tipping point where the risk of both diabetes and heart disease climbs sharply. Notably, that is the moment these studies try to catch.

Timing May Matter as Much as Content

One study here changes nothing about what you eat. It only changes when. The idea comes from body clock science, and Satchidananda Panda of the Salk Institute framed it plainly. Our bodies process sugars and fats differently depending on the time of day. So the study asks whether working with that daily rhythm helps, which would be a treatment with no drug in it at all.

Research Sites Near Charlotte

Several run diabetes studies today, though none runs a prediabetes study. But sites add new studies all the time. So it is worth knowing what sits near you.

Atrium Health

Multiple Charlotte locations / 161+ active studies

Crohn’s, Heart Failure, COPD, Dementia, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension

Charlotte’s biggest health system. It is tied to Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Also, it runs far more trials than anyone else nearby.

Visit Website →

American Health Research Network

Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 25 to 30+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Type 2 Diabetes

Led by Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal. It is the biggest private lung research group in Charlotte. Specifically, it has 4 offices: Charlotte, Rock Hill, Lake Norman, and Charleston.

Visit Website →

Monroe Biomedical Research

Monroe, NC / 17+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Hypertension, Obesity, Ulcerative Colitis

Notably, one of the 5 busiest research sites in the country. Its 6,300 sq ft space can host overnight stays. It is also an SCRS Global Impact Partner.

Visit Website →

Clinical Research of Gastonia

Gastonia, NC / 11+ active studies

Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Idiopathic Hypersomnia

Led by Dr. Anup Banerjee. Its 3,500 sq ft space sits next to CaroMont Regional Medical Center. Also, it has been running for over 10 years.

Visit Website →

OnSite Clinical Solutions

Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 10+ active studies

Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, COPD, Heart Failure, Atopic Dermatitis

It works with Charlotte doctors in heart, gut, skin, nerve, and joint care. Besides, it runs studies from Phase I through Phase IV.

Visit Website →

Flourish Research

Matthews, NC 28105 / 4+ active studies

Alzheimer’s Disease, Early Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s-Related Psychosis

Led by Dr. M. Reza Bolouri. He has 20+ years in Alzheimer’s research. The site is an Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence. In fact, its network has finished 5,500+ trials.

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New Hope Clinical Research

SouthPark, NC 28211 / 4+ active studies

Major Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder

Led by Dr. Kurian Abraham. It runs Phase I through IV studies and has 30 beds for overnight stays. Its last FDA audit came back clean. Also, it has finished 200+ brain studies.

Visit Website →

Queen City Clinical Research

SouthPark, NC 28211 / 2+ active studies

Chronic Pain, Chronic Migraine, Osteoarthritis

Led by Dr. Leonardo Kapural, a former Cleveland Clinic professor. Notably, he has written 200+ journal articles. On top of that, many call this the biggest pain research site in the country.

Visit Website →

Novant Health

Multiple Charlotte locations / Several active studies

Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Hypertension

One of the biggest health systems in the Carolinas. Its Heart and Vascular Institute runs heart studies and sees a lot of patients.

Visit Website →

DLVSC

4 Charlotte-area offices / 1+ active studies

Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea

Led by Dr. Gilly Munavalli. This award-winning skin practice owns 50+ FDA-approved lasers and devices. Also, it has its own research team.

Visit Website →

DelRicht Research

South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies

Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Depression

Part of a national network of mental health research sites. Currently, it runs the azetukalner bipolar depression trial in Charlotte. Previously, it ran other mental health studies.

Visit Website →

TMS of the Carolinas

South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies

Major Depression, Treatment-Resistant Depression

A specialty site for brain stimulation care. It runs the fast TMS study that packs 6 weeks into 2.

Visit Website →

What to Expect in a Prediabetes Study

New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.

Prescreening

First comes a short phone call or online form. Also, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff check whether you might fit. Then they tell you what is open.

Screening Visit

Next the clinic runs the tests that decide it, which usually means blood work. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and you can bring somebody with you.

Treatment Period

Then the study begins. So you take the study drug or the placebo on the agreed schedule. Meanwhile, your own doctor keeps managing everything else.

Follow-Up

Finally, there is a check in period at the end. Also, your own doctor gets the results, and you can stop at any point without affecting your care.

Prediabetes Trial FAQs

Real answers about prediabetes and metabolic syndrome studies near Charlotte NC.

Is there a prediabetes study in Charlotte right now?

Not inside the metro, and we would rather tell you plainly. The nearest is at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, about 80 miles northeast. However, that study is run almost entirely by phone after one scan visit. So the distance matters less than it usually would.

What is the difference between prediabetes and metabolic syndrome?

Prediabetes is one number, either an A1C of 5.7 to 6.4 or a fasting glucose of 100 to 125. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster instead. You have it when three or more of five markers show up together. Those are a large waist, high triglycerides, low HDL, high blood pressure and high fasting glucose. Also, you can have either one without the other.

Can prediabetes actually be reversed?

That question has been answered about as well as medicine answers anything. One study followed people for an average of 22 years and the benefit held. Lifestyle change cut diabetes risk by 25 percent and metformin cut it by 18. So the harder question now is whether that also stops heart attacks, which is what these studies test.

Why do the age rules look strange?

Because they are. The nearest study wants men over 55 but women over 65. That is a real ten year gap, and it catches people out. So a 58 year old woman with textbook metabolic syndrome is not eligible for it. Meanwhile, that is the kind of rule we put on the card rather than hide.

How many visits are we really talking about?

For the nearest study, roughly one or two across three and a half years. You can sign up online, and a central team handles your medicines by phone. So the heart scan is the trip. However, the other two studies here ask a great deal more.

Do I need to already have diabetes?

No, and for the nearest study having full diabetes is only one of three doors in. Prediabetes alone qualifies you, and so does metabolic syndrome alone. Also, you must have no symptoms of heart disease and no known heart disease. In short, this study is looking for people who feel fine.

Is there a placebo?

Not in the nearest study. Everybody gets real care, and the coin flip only decides whether a scan guides it. Also, the eating study has no placebo either. However, the Veterans metformin study does use a dummy pill, added on top of your usual care. So two of the three involve no dummy treatment at all.

Does it cost anything to be on the list?

No. There is no cost, and no insurance is needed. Tether is a nonprofit list, so we do not run studies and we are not paid to send you. Also, being on the list never enrolls you in anything. You would always call the clinic yourself.

How long until a study opens inside Charlotte?

We cannot promise a date, and we will not guess at one. However, Charlotte has sites that already run diabetes and weight studies, so the set up is here. Meanwhile, prevention studies keep growing as the questions get more interesting. In short, it is a question of when rather than if.

Where can I get prediabetes care near Charlotte NC?

Atrium Health and Novant Health both run diabetes and nutrition programs across the metro. Also, ask your doctor for an A1C rather than a plain glucose, because it catches more people. The YMCA runs a proven diabetes program in several locations here. Meanwhile, many plans now cover that program at no cost, so it is worth asking.

Ready to Explore a Study?

Get on the list, or just reach out to our Charlotte team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.

See if I may fit one of these studies → Contact Us

← Back to All Clinical Trials

Sources

Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 15, 2026. On that date no prediabetes or metabolic syndrome study was enrolling inside the Charlotte metro. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.

Tell me when a prediabetes study opens near Charlotte →