Sleep factors in obesity and diabetes linked to dementia risk in Look AHEAD participants
Official title: Look AHEAD Sleep: Sleep-disordered breathing, circadian rest/activity rhythms, and the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in Look AHEAD
Funded at Wake Forest University Health Sciences · NIH-11402202 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how sleep problems and daily activity rhythms relate to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes who were part of the Look AHEAD trial.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wake Forest University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Winston-Salem, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,161,620 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG074562-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402202 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older who participated in the Look AHEAD study, especially those with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes.
✕Less likely to help
Some participants may not experience detectable changes in sleep or cognitive measures during the study period.
What this research studies
Researchers will use home sleep testing and wrist actigraphy to measure sleep-disordered breathing and circadian rest/activity patterns in about 1,500 Look AHEAD participants. They will use a phone-based cognitive assessment to track cognitive changes over time and identify cases of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, along with other related conditions. The study will also examine long-term diabetes control, weight changes, and genetic factors (APOE ε4) as potential modifiers, and will explore blood biomarkers such as Aβ42/Aβ40, tau, pTau181, and NfL. By leveraging the Look AHEAD trial design, the team can see if an intensive lifestyle intervention focused on diet and activity influences these sleep and cognitive outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help identify sleep and circadian factors that contribute to dementia risk and guide lifestyle or monitoring strategies for people with obesity and diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked sleep and circadian disruption to cognitive decline, but this study adds longitudinal data in a high-risk population and includes biomarker analyses.
Where this research is happening
-
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Udeh-Momoh, Chinedu Theresa — Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Udeh-Momoh, Chinedu Theresa
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.