AzTrials
AzTrials

Obese AdultsNCT07742917

Precision Lifestyle Medicine Program for IFHAS Participants

A study testing Precision Lifestyle Medicine Program and Standard IFHAS Care in people with Obese Adults and BMI/Body Composition, run by Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi at 1 site in United Arab Emirates.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a precision lifestyle medicine intervention can improve cardiometabolic health in Emirati adults aged 25 to 50 years living in Abu Dhabi with obesity (BMI 30-35 kg/m²) who have previously completed IFHAS screening. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 25 to 50 years
What is being tested?
Precision Lifestyle Medicine Program and Standard IFHAS Care
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
150 participants
Where
1 siteUnited Arab Emirates
Study dates
3 Aug 2026to 13 Dec 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 25 to 50 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Emiratis residing in Abu Dhabi emirate
  • Aged 25-50 years
  • BMI 30-35 kg/m²
  • Thiqa cardholder
  • Previous participation in IFHAS screening
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Participant in the Emirati Genome Programme
  • No weight-loss medications (e.g., Ozempic, Saxenda, Wegovy) within 3 months of enrollment.

Who cannot join

  • Aged under 25 years or over 50 years of age
  • BMI range under 30 kg/m2 and over 35 kg/m2
  • Taking weight loss medication such as GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic, Saxenda, Wegovy)
  • Active treatment for serious medical conditions (cancer, planned surgery, immunomodulation)
  • Transplant surgery within 12 months
  • Pregnancy
Show all 11Show fewer
  • Surgery within 3 months prior to recruitment
  • Physical limitations preventing exercise participation
  • Current enrolment in other lifestyle intervention programs
  • Active psychiatric conditions, cognitive impairment, or mental health conditions affecting study participation
  • Contraindication to MRI or DEXA imaging, including severe claustrophobia or need for sedation.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Erik Koornneef, PhD contact

+971500888594

e.koornneef@ihlad.ae

Leanne Cassidy, MSc contact

+971559168075

l.cassidy@ihlad.ae

United Arab Emirates1 site, 1 recruiting

  • Institute for Healthier Living

    Abu Dhabi

    Shamma Al Jneibi, 026451700, s.aljneibi@ihlad.ae

    Recruiting

Other trials in United Arab Emirates

About this study

Official title: Application of a Precision Lifestyle Medicine Clinical Program for a Sample of IFHAS Screening Cohort

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a precision lifestyle medicine intervention can improve cardiometabolic health in Emirati adults aged 25 to 50 years living in Abu Dhabi with obesity (BMI 30-35 kg/m²) who have previously completed IFHAS screening. The study will also use IFHAS screening data to better understand participants' health profiles and the relationship between lifestyle factors and chronic diseases. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does a precision lifestyle medicine program improve cardiometabolic biomarkers after an 18-week intervention?
  • Can IFHAS screening data be used to identify health risk profiles and support personalized lifestyle interventions for the Emirati population?
Read more

Researchers will compare participants receiving the precision lifestyle medicine intervention with a propensity-matched control group receiving standard IFHAS care to determine whether the intervention leads to greater improvements in cardiometabolic health.

Participants will:

  • Take part in an 18-week personalized lifestyle medicine program tailored to their health profile.
  • Attend study visits and complete health assessments over a total study period of 24 weeks.
  • Undergo cardiometabolic biomarker assessments before and after the intervention.
  • Complete questionnaires or assessments about their adherence to the lifestyle program and their experience with the precision lifestyle medicine clinic.
  • Provide biological samples to support the establishment of a biomarker repository for future research.
Read the detailed description

This study is a prospective clinical trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a precision lifestyle medicine program in improving cardiometabolic health among Emirati adults with obesity. The study also aims to use data collected through the IFHAS screening program to better understand the current health status, disease risk profiles (pathophenotypes), and associations between lifestyle factors and chronic diseases within the Emirati population.

A total of 150 eligible participants will be enrolled to receive an individualized precision lifestyle medicine intervention. Their outcomes will be compared with those of 150 propensity score-matched individuals selected from the IFHAS database who receive standard IFHAS care. The intervention is designed to provide personalized lifestyle recommendations based on each participant's clinical characteristics and health profile.

Eligible participants are Emirati adults aged 25 to 50 years who reside in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, have a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 35 kg/m², are Thiqa cardholders, have completed at least one IFHAS screening, are enrolled in the Emirati Genome Programme, and are able to provide informed consent. Individuals receiving weight-loss medications, those with certain medical conditions or physical limitations that may interfere with participation, pregnant women, and individuals enrolled in other lifestyle intervention programs are excluded.

Recruitment will occur on a rolling basis until the target sample size of 150 participants is reached. Each participant will be involved in the study for approximately 24 weeks, including an 18-week precision lifestyle medicine intervention and follow-up assessments.

The primary objectives of the study are to:

  • Use IFHAS screening data to stratify health risks, characterize the current health status and pathophenotypes of the Emirati population, and examine associations between lifestyle factors and chronic diseases.
  • Design and implement a precision lifestyle medicine program for eligible participants.
  • Evaluate changes in cardiometabolic biomarkers following completion of the intervention.

The secondary objectives are to:

  • Assess participants' adherence to the recommended lifestyle intervention program.
  • Evaluate participants' experiences with the precision lifestyle medicine clinical program.
  • Establish a structured biomarker repository to support future exploratory and hypothesis-generating research.

Study assessments will include measurements of cardiometabolic biomarkers before and after the intervention. Participants may also undergo additional clinical assessments and complete questionnaires related to adherence and their experience with the intervention program. Biological samples collected during the study will contribute to the development of a biomarker repository for future research, in accordance with applicable ethical and regulatory requirements.

The study will be conducted in accordance with the Department of Health (DoH)-approved protocol, the Declaration of Helsinki, the International Council for Harmonisation Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP) guidelines, and all applicable national laws and regulations

Being tested
Precision Lifestyle Medicine Program, Standard IFHAS Care
Keywords
cardiovascular, obesity, BMI, UAE, Emirati, IFHAS, Personalized, Precision Lifestyle Medicine, Emirati Population, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, Biological Age, Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), Oura ring, Gut Microbiome, Preventive Medicine, Personalized Nutrition, Risk Stratification
Medical subject headings
Obesity

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Precision Lifestyle Medicine ProgramBehavioural

    Participants receive an 18-week precision lifestyle medicine intervention based on individual IFHAS screening results and cardiometabolic risk stratification. The program includes personalized lifestyle recommendations and multidisciplinary clinical support focused on improving cardiometabolic health. Participants are followed for 24 weeks, with assessments conducted at baseline and post-intervention.

  • Standard IFHAS CareOther

    Participants receive standard IFHAS care without participation in the precision lifestyle medicine intervention. This group serves as a propensity score-matched comparison cohort.

Study groups in NCT07742917
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Precision Lifestyle Medicine InterventionExperimentalParticipants receive an 18-week precision lifestyle medicine intervention program based on IFHAS screening and risk stratification, including personalized lifestyle recommendations and clinical follow-up. Participants remain in the study for 24 weeks, with cardiometabolic outcomes assessed before and after the intervention.
Receives: Behavioral: Precision Lifestyle Medicine Program
Standard IFHAS Care (Matched Control)Active comparatorRetrospective propensity score-matched control participants identified from the IFHAS cohort who receive standard IFHAS care and do not participate in the precision lifestyle medicine intervention. This comparison group is created using propensity score weighting to estimate intervention effects.
Receives: Other: Standard IFHAS Care

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Body Mass Index (BMI)

    Mean change in body mass index (BMI) from baseline to Week 24 following the precision lifestyle medicine intervention.

    Measured: Baseline and Week 24

  2. Change in Cardiometabolic Composite Response

    Proportion of participants classified as cardiometabolic responders at Week 24, defined as achieving at least two of the following: ≥3% reduction in body weight, ≥5% reduction in ApoB (or LDL-C), ≥0.3% reduction in HbA1c (or ≥15% reduction in HOMA-IR), ≥3 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure, or ≥2 cm reduction in waist circumference.

    Measured: 24 weeks

Secondary outcomes (9)

  1. High responder rate

    Proportion of participants meeting at least three of the five cardiometabolic composite response criteria.

    Measured: 24 weeks

  2. Change in body weight

    Mean percent change in body weight from baseline.

    Measured: baseline to week 24

  3. Change in HbA1c

    Mean change in HbA1c among participants with dysglycaemia.

    Measured: Baseline to Week 24

  4. Change in ApoB

    Mean change in apolipoprotein B concentration.

    Measured: Baseline to Week 24

  5. VO₂peak

    Mean change in measured VO₂peak obtained by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).

    Measured: Baseline to Week 24

  6. Change in 10-year cardiovascular disease risk

    Change in QRISK3 estimated 10-year cardiovascular disease risk.

    Measured: Baseline to Week 24

  7. Change in 10-year type 2 diabetes risk

    Change in TEST2PREVENT estimated 10-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

    Measured: Baseline to Week 24

  8. Participant commitment to the intervention

    Participant adherence assessed using clinic attendance, Oura Ring compliance, and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) compliance.

    Measured: Throughout the intervention (up to Week 24)

  9. Participant experience

    Participant satisfaction and feasibility of the precision lifestyle medicine clinical program assessed using a structured participant experience survey.

    Measured: Week 24

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted3 Aug 2026
  2. Study start3 Aug 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion13 Jun 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion13 Dec 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Quasi-experimental intervention with a propensity score-weighted matched control group (150 intervention participants and 150 matched controls).
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
150 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07742917
Sponsor's protocol ID
DOH/ADHRTC/2026/1867
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
29 Jul 2026
Last updated
3 Aug 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Fitzgerald KN, Hodges R, Hanes D, Stack E, Cheishvili D, Szyf M, Henkel J, Twedt MW, Giannopoulou D, Herdell J, Logan S, Bradley R. Potential reversal of epigenetic age using a diet and lifestyle intervention: a pilot randomized clinical trial. Aging (Albany NY). 2021 Apr 12;13(7):9419-9432. doi: 10.18632/aging.202913. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

    PubMed 33844651

  • Reicher L, Bar N, Godneva A, Reisner Y, Zahavi L, Shahaf N, Dhir R, Weinberger A, Segal E. Phenome-wide associations of human aging uncover sex-specific dynamics. Nat Aging. 2024 Nov;4(11):1643-1655. doi: 10.1038/s43587-024-00734-9. Epub 2024 Nov 5.

    PubMed 39501126

  • Lee S, Lee S, Kim Y, et al. A deep learning model for biological age prediction using comprehensive health check-up data: A retrospective cohort study. Aging (Albany NY). 2023;15(15):7519-7539.

  • Pinu FR, Beale DJ, Zwart P, et al. A random forest-based approach for the identification of diagnostic biomarkers for heart failure from gene expression data. Front Mol Biosci. 2020;7:139.

  • Alanazi SA, Kamruzzaman MM, Alruwaili M, et al. A machine learning-based approach for the prediction of cardiometabolic disease risk in students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(11):5649.

  • Ambrose M, Mitmesser SH, Sesso HD, et al. Use of reduced rank regression and random forest to identify dietary patterns associated with cardiometabolic risk. Curr Dev Nutr. 2017;1(6):e000782.

  • Georga EI, Protopappas VC, Yaluri N, et al. A machine learning approach for predicting non-responders to a lifestyle intervention for prediabetes. Sensors (Basel). 2021;21(6):2082.

  • Gárate-Escamila AK, El-Guindy A, Tamez-Peña JG. Machine learning for diabetes and hypertension classification in the Mexican population. J Healthc Eng. 2020;2020:8839074.

  • O'Gorman A, Gibbons H, O'Brien EC, et al. Use of metabolomics for assessing compliance to a raspberry intervention. Eur J Nutr. 2019;58(1):333-344.

  • Ulaszewska MM, Garcia-Aloy M, Llorach R, et al. A review of the application of metabolomics in human nutrition. Trends Food Sci Technol. 2019;84:80-92.

  • Meng, C., Zhang, J., He, M. et al. An overview of machine learning in precision nutrition. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2023;8(1):337.

  • EuroQol. (1990). EQ-5D-3L. [online] Available at: https://euroqol.org/information-and-support/euroqol-instruments/eq-5d-3l/.

  • Bekairy AM, Bustami RT, Almotairi M, Jarab A, Katheri AM, Aldebasi TM, Aburuz S. Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the the EuroQOL (EQ-5D). A study from Saudi Arabia. Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2018 Mar-Apr;12(2):16-20.

    PubMed 29599689

  • Antoun I, Alkhayer A, Aljabal M, Alkhayer A, Simon P, Mahfoud Y, Kotb A, Barker J, Mavilakandy A, Somani R, Ng GA, Zakkar M. The validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the EQ-5D in atrial fibrillation patients in a conflict country: a study from Syria. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2024 Oct 8;24(1):541. doi: 10.1186/s12872-024-04203-4.

    PubMed 39379843

  • American College of Sports Medicine (2025). Physical Activity Guidelines. [online] ACSM. Available at: https://acsm.org/education-resources/trending-topics-resources/physical-activity-guidelines/.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Precision Lifestyle Medicine Program and Standard IFHAS Care in people with Obese Adults and BMI/Body Composition, run by Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi at 1 site in United Arab Emirates.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United Arab Emirates. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Erik Koornneef, PhD (+971500888594, e.koornneef@ihlad.ae), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Body Mass Index (BMI) (time frame: Baseline and Week 24). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07742917, which also lists 57 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Aug 2026.

AzTrials uses cookies for analytics and advertising. You can accept or reject them; the site works either way. Privacy Policy.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in