Is the Long‐term Impact of a Multidomain Lifestyle Intervention on Cognitive Function Mediated by Changes in Leptin and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Concentrations?

The 10‐year intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) of the Look AHEAD study resulted in a legacy of relative deficits in cognitive function among participants who entered the clinical trial with a history of cardiovascular disease or current obesity, as compared to participants assigned to the diabetes support and education (DSE) intervention. We hypothesized that levels of two weight‐sensitive proangiogenic cytokines, leptin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which have been previously reported to be associated with cognitive function, may have been altered by the ILI and account for this concerning finding.