Does a personalized lifestyle intervention reduce arterial stiffness in young adults with overweight/obesity compared to general lifestyle recommendations?
The LifeEVA trial protocol outlines a study to evaluate whether a personalized, genetically-informed lifestyle intervention can improve vascular health and reduce arterial stiffness in young adults with overweight or obesity.
Context: Early vascular aging (EVA), characterized by accelerated arterial stiffness, is an emerging concept in cardiovascular health. Young adults with obesity often exhibit risk factors that predispose them to EVA and future cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle interventions combining physical activity and diet can improve vascular function, but their translational integration into healthcare for young, at-risk populations remains limited. Objective: To determine whether a personalized lifestyle intervention can reduce arterial stiffness in young adults with overweight/obesity, compared with standard lifestyle advice. Secondary objectives include exploring genetic influences on intervention response. Design: LifeEVA is a 12-month prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint (PROBE) trial. Participants are randomized to intervention (personalized exercise and diet program) or control group (general lifestyle recommendations). Hemodynamic measures, anthropometric measures, fitness and physical activity levels, dietary measures, biological age, composite cardiovascular risk scores, and patient-reported outcomes (sleep quality, stress, and quality of life) will be assessed over the study duration. Setting: Clinical research setting embedded in a national biobank. Participants: Eighteen- to 40-yr-old adults with body mass index ≥25 kg·m −2 and increased waist circumference ( N = 352). Intervention: Personalized physical activity consultations and genetically informed dietary plans (hypocaloric Mediterranean-style diet targeting 5%–10% weight loss). Whole-exome sequencing data will be analyzed to personalize the intervention using nutrigenetic approaches. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome is changes in arterial stiffness (carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity). Key secondary outcomes are changes in the dimensions and in the systolic and diastolic performance of the heart. Conclusion: This trial will evaluate a comprehensive lifestyle approach considering the interplay between lifestyle and genetics, testing whether an integrated lifestyle program can improve vascular health in young overweight adults or those with obesity. If successful, LifeEVA will provide evidence for early, personalized lifestyle interventions as a translational strategy to combat EVA and reduce future cardiovascular disease risk in routine healthcare.
Veloudi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.