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The Effects of a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Brain Function and Its Relation With Immunometabolic Markers and Intestinal Health in Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: Study Design and Baseline Characteristics of the HELI Randomized Controlled Trial
Mark R. van Loenen, Lianne B. Remie, Mara P. H. van Trijp, Michelle G. Jansen, José P. Marques, Jurgen A.H.R. Claassen, Ondine van de Rest, Yannick Vermeiren et al.. JMIR Research Protocols, 2025-07-30
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This work was supported by a Crossover grant (Maintaining Optimal Cognitive Functioning In Aging [MOCIA] 17611) of the Dutch Research Council (NWO), granted in December 2019. The MOCIA program is a public-private partnership. Between April 2022 and October 2023, we successfully included 102 older Dutch adults (mean age 66.6, SD 4.3 years; 67/102, 65.7% female) with ≥2 lifestyle-modifiable risk factors of cognitive aging (median risk 3, IQR 2-3). The most common self-reported lifestyle-modifiable risk factors at baseline were overweight or obesity (76/102, 74.5%), followed by hypertension (58/102, 56.9%), hypercholesterolemia (57/102, 55.9%), and physical inactivity (57/102, 55.9%). The HELI study aims to enhance our understanding of the working mechanisms of multidomain lifestyle interventions through its comprehensive characterization of central and peripheral markers. We intend to achieve this aim by assessing lifestyle intervention-induced changes in functional and structural MRI brain measures, as well as peripheral measures of the gut-immune-brain axis involved in cognitive aging.
Key findings
- This work was supported by a Crossover grant (Maintaining Optimal Cognitive Functioning In Aging [MOCIA] 17611) of the Dutch Research Council (NWO), granted in December 2019.
- The MOCIA program is a public-private partnership.
- Between April 2022 and October 2023, we successfully included 102 older Dutch adults (mean age 66.6, SD 4.3 years; 67/102, 65.7% female) with ≥2 lifestyle-modifiable risk factors of cognitive aging (median risk 3, IQR 2-3).
- The most common self-reported lifestyle-modifiable risk factors at baseline were overweight or obesity (76/102, 74.5%), followed by hypertension (58/102, 56.9%), hypercholesterolemia (57/102, 55.9%), and physical inactivity (57/102, 55.9%).
- The HELI study aims to enhance our understanding of the working mechanisms of multidomain lifestyle interventions through its comprehensive characterization of central and peripheral markers.
Why it matters
This paper describes the design and baseline characteristics of the HELI randomized controlled trial, which will assess how a multidomain lifestyle intervention affects brain function and immunometabolic markers in 102 older adults at risk of cognitive decline. No outcome results are reported yet, so it cannot yet say whether the intervention prevents cognitive decline.
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Study details
- Participants102
- Effect size65.7%; 74.5%; 56.9%
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (JMIR Research Protocols) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | JMIR Research Protocols: journal h-index 62 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 102 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 3 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Esther Aarts: h-index 37 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Groningen: institution h-index 1,383 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 9 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41252227) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
van Loenen, M. R., Remie, L. B., van Trijp, M. P. H., Jansen, M. G., Marques, J. P., Claassen, J. A., et al. (2025). The Effects of a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Brain Function and Its Relation With Immunometabolic Markers and Intestinal Health in Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: Study Design and Baseline Characteristics of the HELI Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Research Protocols. https://doi.org/10.2196/69814
Vancouver
van Loenen MR, Remie LB, van Trijp MPH, Jansen MG, Marques JP, Claassen JA, et al. The Effects of a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Brain Function and Its Relation With Immunometabolic Markers and Intestinal Health in Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: Study Design and Baseline Characteristics of the HELI Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Research Protocols. 2025. doi:10.2196/69814. PMID: 41252227.
BibTeX
@article{vanloenen2025-41252227,
author = {van Loenen, Mark R. and Remie, Lianne B. and van Trijp, Mara P. H. and Jansen, Michelle G. and Marques, José P. and Claassen, Jurgen A.H.R. and van de Rest, Ondine and Vermeiren, Yannick and others},
title = {{The Effects of a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Brain Function and Its Relation With Immunometabolic Markers and Intestinal Health in Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: Study Design and Baseline Characteristics of the HELI Randomized Controlled Trial}},
journal = {JMIR Research Protocols},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.2196/69814},
pmid = {41252227},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2196/69814}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 22.