ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT03087253Updated Mar 19, 2026

The LD Lync Study - Natural History Study of Lipodystrophy Syndromes

An observational study in Lipodystrophy (Genetic or Acquired, Non HIV), sponsored by University of Michigan. Recruiting at 4 sites in 3 countries. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-19.

Sponsored by University of Michigan · Observational

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Feb 2018; still recruiting 8 years 8 months later.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
500
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Genetic lipodystrophy syndromes are extremely rare, orphan diseases with overall estimated prevalence of less than 2,000 in the United States. These rare disorders characterized by selective loss of adipose tissue and predisposition to insulin resistance and its metabolic complications diabetes, dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis. Due to these metabolic problems, atherosclerotic vascular disease, recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis, cirrhosis and other morbidities complicate the lives of these patients.

In the last few years, several genes for CGL (AGPAT2, BSCL2, CAV1 and PTRF); FPL (LMNA, PPARG, AKT2, CIDEC, LIPE, PLIN1, PCYT1A and ADRA2A); MAD (LMNA and ZMPSTE24); APS (LMNA); autoinflammatory (PSMB8); NPS (FBN1, CAV1); SHORT syndrome (PIK3R1); and MDP syndrome (POLD1) have been identified. However, there is paucity of information about the natural history of these rare syndromes, especially genotype-specific causes of morbidity and mortality.

To overcome the problems outlined above, this multicenter, collaborative, prospective, observational natural history cohort study will be conducted on approximately 500 patients with genetic or acquired lipodystrophy syndromes. Patients will be assessed on a yearly basis for approximately 5 to 7 years to collect robust clinical, metabolic, morbidity and mortality data. Medical history and patient questionnaires will be completed on a yearly basis by patients registered in the study. Clinical data such as vitals, laboratory results and anthropometric measurements will also be collected from patients' medical records if available.

02

Conditions studied

  • Lipodystrophy (Genetic or Acquired, Non HIV)

Browse trials for

03

In context

Lipodystrophy

139 studies on the registry are indexed under Lipodystrophy; 10 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 500 is above the median of 104 across 34 observational studies indexed under Lipodystrophy.

Browse Lipodystrophy studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Michigan is the lead sponsor of 1,506 studies on the registry; 192 are open to participants now.

Of its 169 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 133 (79%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Patients with a clinical diagnosis of genetic or acquired lipodystrophy

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Clinical diagnosis of genetic or acquired lipodystrophy Supportive data: 1) Presence of biallelic known disease-causing variants in the genes for autosomal recessive lipodystrophy syndromes; 2) Presence of a known (or de novo loss of function) disease-causing variant in the genes for autosomal dominant lipodystrophy syndromes; or 3) Clinical supportive data based on morphological criteria together with metabolic abnormalities.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • -infected patients with lipodystrophy
  • Drug-induced lipodystrophy
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
500 participants (estimated)
Target follow-up
16 Years
Patient registry
Yes
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus

    Number of subjects with diabetes mellitus or who develop diabetes mellitus

    Time frame: 4 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. Prevalence of severe hypertriglyceridemia

    Number of subjects with severe hypertriglyceridemia (greater than 500 md/dL) or who develop severe hypertriglyceridemia

    Time frame: 4 years

  2. Incidence of severe morbidities and causes of mortality

    Incidence of severe morbidities (acute pancreatitis, congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, liver failure) and causes of mortality in subjects

    Time frame: 4 years

07

Study locations

4 of 4 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Started Feb 2018 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Mar 2034, 193 months after the start.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Mar 16, 2017
First posted
Mar 22, 2017
StartActual
Feb 27, 2018
Primary completionEst.
Mar 2034
CompletionEst.
Mar 2034
Last update
Mar 19, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 19, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03087253
Responsible party
Elif Oral (Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan) — Principal investigator
First posted
Mar 22, 2017
Start date
Feb 27, 2018
Primary completion
Mar 2034 (estimated)
Completion
Mar 2034 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 19, 2026

Study contacts

Adam Neidert, M.S.
Contact
aneidert@med.umich.edu
734-615-0539
Elif Oral, M.D.
Contact
eliforal@med.umich.edu
734-615-7271
Elif A Oral, MD
principal investigator · Professor of Medicine

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Interested in this study?

Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.

Contact study team

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion