Body weight following a multidomain lifestyle intervention in older adults at risk of dementia - A post-hoc analysis of the AgeWell.de-trial.
Andrea E Zülke, Adrian Schultz, Melanie Luppa et al.
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In 30 seconds
This post-hoc analysis of the cluster-randomized AgeWell.de trial examined body weight in 678 adults aged 60–77 years with overweight or obesity and at risk for dementia. Participants were allocated to a 24-month multidomain lifestyle intervention or control. Adjusted analyses found no association between intervention allocation and body weight at follow-up (b = -0.30, 95% CI: -0.51; 1.11). Motivation and confidence about weight loss remained high but stable in both groups; reported improvements in diet and physical activity in the intervention group did not translate into measurable weight loss.
Key findings
- Intervention allocation was not associated with body weight at 24 months (b = -0.30, 95% CI: -0.51; 1.11).
- Higher baseline body weight predicted higher follow-up body weight (b = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91; 0.98).
- Motivation and confidence regarding weight loss remained high and stable in both groups, regardless of allocation.
Why it matters
For older adults at risk of dementia, a broad lifestyle programme may support changes in diet and physical activity without producing measurable weight loss. This distinction matters when interpreting intervention outcomes: behavioural improvements and weight change are not interchangeable endpoints, and weight should be assessed directly when it is a programme goal.
What to keep in mind
This was a post-hoc analysis, and the reported findings concern body weight in participants with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² rather than the trial’s primary cognitive and dementia-risk outcomes.