Grand Rounds: LEAP! Rx: A Randomized Trial of a Pragmatic Approach to Lifestyle Medicine

Amanda Szabo-Reed, PhD, research associate professor, Physical Activity & Weight Management, University of Kansas Medical Center, and Amber Watts, PhD, associate professor of clinical psychology, University of Kansas Director, BRANCH Lab, will present their recent work, LEAP! Rx: A randomized trial of a pragmatic approach to lifestyle medicine.

The 52-week exercise and health education program (Lifestyle Empowerment for Alzheimer’s Prevention [LEAP! Rx]) integrated clinician referrals and community-based fitness resources.

The team randomized 219 participants to the LEAP! Rx (ie, exercise and monthly brain health education) or a standard-of-care control group and tested the effects on cardiorespiratory fitness, insulin resistance, body composition, lipids, and cognitive performance.

The intervention group increased in cardiorespiratory fitness at 12 and 52 weeks (p = 0.005) and the digital physician referral method increased the diversity of the participant sample, indicating promise for broad implementation of exercise interventions into larger healthcare systems and have implications for improved research recruitment strategies.