MedEx-UK2: Mediterranean diet, exercise and dementia risk in UK adults
Research type
Research Study
Full title
MedEx-UK 2: (Mediterranean diet, exercise and dementia risk in UK adults): a Randomised Controlled Trial investigating the feasibility of a digital intervention to increase Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) Score in older UK adults who are at risk of dementia
IRAS ID
282160
Contact name
Emma Stevenson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
MedEx-UK2 will evaluate the feasibility of a multi-domain intervention to increase Mediterranean Dietary Pattern (MDP) adherence in a group of older UK adults who are at above average risk of dementia.
The MedEx-UK2 study will establish whether an 24 week digital behaviour intervention can increase Mediterranean diet (MD)adherence. The data will be incorporated into the MedEx-UK RCT (IRAS number 242410.) which was designed to test if a supported intervention (including digital intervention, facilitator-led group sessions and food provision) led to change in MD adherence alone or combined with Physical Activity (PA) versus control over 24 weeks. We will specifically compare our web based intervention against the MD only diet group in the original MedEx study. The current study will allow us to compare behaviour change using a digital intervention, with lower cost and researcher-burden, versus a more supported approach.
In MedEx-UK2 we propose recruit 36 older adults using the same screening criteria as MedEx-UK (55-74y at above average risk of dementia, but pre-clinical) from two UK centres (Newcastle and Norwich). Recruitment will take via direct to public advertisement. The primary outcome is MDP adherence over a 24 week period. Our secondary outcomes will be to measure the sensitivity of various cognitive assessments and measure the variability of our primary and secondary outcome measures in this population at baseline and in response to intervention.
The results from this study will inform the design of a future large-scale UK dementia risk reduction RCT, to observe whether a multi-domain intervention over 2 to 5 years promoting MDP adherence and increased PA can reduce cognitive decline and brain atrophy in adults at above average risk of dementia.REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0571
Date of REC Opinion
7 Oct 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion