Completed Digestion, Kidneys & Other Organs NIHR-supported project

Blood sugar control in liver cirrhosis and the impact of the late evening snack

Funder NIHR (part of DHSC)
Recipient organisation NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre
NIHR support Recorded as supported by this research centre
Period Mar 2025 — Mar 2026

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

People with liver cirrhosis experience dangerous blood sugar swings—high after meals and low overnight—yet no one knows whether stabilising those levels improves their health. This matters because current medical advice tells patients to eat a carbohydrate-based late evening snack to prevent muscle breakdown, but it gives no guidance on which carbohydrates to choose. That is a significant gap: 70% of people with cirrhosis have glucose intolerance, meaning the wrong type of carbohydrate could worsen their condition. Researchers also do not know how consistently patients follow the snack recommendation. The project will review existing evidence and use continuous glucose monitors to track real-time blood sugar patterns in people with cirrhosis. Crucially, the team will work with the Bristol Liver Group—a patient group—to understand whether patients find the monitors helpful and what they think of the snack advice. If successful, this work could lead to clearer, evidence-based dietary guidelines for people with cirrhosis, potentially reducing overnight hypoglycaemia and improving metabolic health. It is a foundational step toward personalised nutritional care for a condition where simple, low-cost interventions could make a tangible difference.

View original technical description
Continuous glucose monitors have shown that some people with liver cirrhosis have high blood sugar after eating and low blood sugar overnight. We don’t yet understand if improved blood sugar control improves patient outcomes. Medical professionals recommend that people with liver cirrhosis have a carbohydrate based late evening snack to prevent overnight muscle breakdown. There are no recommendations about what type of carbohydrates to have, and with 70% of people with liver cirrhosis having glucose intolerance, the type of carbohydrate may be important. We also don’t know how well patients stick to the late evening snack recommendation. Project aims We will review the existing evidence on this topic to see where the gaps are, and use continuous glucose monitors to look at blood sugar levels of people with liver cirrhosis. We will work with members of the Bristol Liver Group, a patient group. Their opinions of using these devices and whether they’re helpful will be key to designing and carrying out the project. We also want to find out about their understanding and opinions of the late evening snack recommendation. What we hope to achieve This fellowship project, led by Ben Hayes, is an important step in understanding the effect of the late evening snack on blood sugar control in people with liver cirrhosis, and whether types of carbohydrate should be considered in the recommendation.

Researchers

Benjamin Hayes (Principal Investigator)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Improving Nutritional Status in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis Through More Accurate and Individualised Nutritional Treatment.
Does glucose variability influence behavioural presentation in people with a learning disability
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Low-dose galactose to control postprandial glycaemia
Safety signals and potential efficacy of a low-energy total diet replacement programme with behavioural support to delay disease progression in compensated cirrhosis due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomised controlled trial

Original classification

Diet and Physical Activity

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.