In a recent study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity , researchers conducted an open-label, hybrid effectiveness-implementation, blinded endpoint randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate whether a coach-supported mobile health (mHealth) intervention can reduce dementia risk factors in high-risk, underserved populations. They found that mHealth modestly improved the dementia risk score in the test group compared to the control group, with high adoption and active participation rates, although the implementation was challenging. Study: Prevention of dementia using mobile phone applications (PRODEMOS): a multinational, randomised, controlled effectiveness–implementation trial .
Image Credit: Dragon Images/Shutterstock.com The prevalence of dementia is expected to exceed 150 million by 2050, primarily affecting low- and middle-income countries and those with a lower socioeconomic status in high-income countries. Up to 40% of dementia cases are linked to modifiable risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking, which remain prevalent in underserved populations.
Multidomain interventions targeting these factors have shown mixed results in randomized controlled trials, often involving healthier populations in high-income settings. mHealth interventions via smartphone applications could reach underserved, high-risk populations effectively and cheaply. However, a 2022 systematic review found inconclusive evidence on the efficacy and implementation succes.