About the dataset

Primary description: Diabetes weight loss trial

The Action for Health in Diabetes (LookAHEAD) trial studies the long-term effect of intensive lifestyle intervention in participants with type 2 diabetes, with outcomes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The randomized control trial began in 2001 with brain MRI added in a subset of the initial trial population on average 10 years after randomization. Data from the randomized controlled clinical trial is available (including measures of brain structure and cognitive function) through the NIH’s NIDDK central repository [https://repository.niddk.nih.gov/studies/look-ahead/].
Study Action for Health in Diabetes Study (Look AHEAD)
Study Website lookAHEAD
Data Descriptor Paper https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glz090
DUA https://repository.niddk.nih.gov/pages/for_requestors
Country/Region USA
Disease Tag cardiovascular
Age (mean ± SD) 68.4 ± 6.5
Age Range 54.10-84.08
% Female 71.1
CUBIC Project /cbica/projects/LookAhead
PI for CUBIC Access Approval Christos Davatzikos
N Subjects 311
N MR Sessions 311
DLMUSE (v1.0.7)
(319/319 complete)
/cbica/projects/LookAhead/Pipelines/LookAhead_DLMUSE_2025/Results/DLMUSE_Volumes.csv
RAVENS (DRAMMS-1.4.1)
(316/316 complete)
/cbica/projects/LookAhead/Pipelines/LookAhead_3D_2021/Protocols/RAVENS
DLWMLS (v0.1.0)
(316/316 complete)
/cbica/projects/LookAhead/Pipelines/LookAhead_DLWMLS_2025/Results/LookAhead_DLWMLS_DLMUSE_Segmented_Volumes.csv
Non-Imaging Data
/cbica/projects/ISTAGING/Pipelines/ClinicalDataConsolidation_201911/Data/External_Data/lookAHEAD

Raw data downloaded from source.

/cbica/projects/ISTAGING/Pipelines/ClinicalDataConsolidation_201911/dictionaries/LookAhead

Data dictionary of raw data downloaded from source.

/cbica/projects/ISTAGING/Pipelines/ISTAGING_Data_Consolidation_2020/v2.0/istaging.csv

Data consolidated and harmonized in 2020.

This study: subset with df[df.Study == 'lookAHEAD']

README: /cbica/projects/ISTAGING/Pipelines/ISTAGING_Data_Consolidation_2020/v2.0/README.md

Release Notes: /cbica/projects/ISTAGING/Pipelines/ISTAGING_Data_Consolidation_2020/v2.0/Release_Notes.md

/cbica/home/harmang/for_others/final_combined_istaging_withMUSE.csv

Data consolidated and harmonized in 2026.

This study: subset with df[df.Study == 'lookAHEAD']


Funding
The Look AHEAD Brain MRI ancillary study was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services: DK092237-01. Additional support was provided bythe Action for Health in Diabetes ADRD Study (Look AHEAD-MIND) R01AG058571.

The Action for Health in Diabetes is supported through the following cooperative agreements from the National Institutes of Health: DK57136, DK57149, DK56990, DK57177, DK57171, DK57151, DK57182, DK57131, DK57002, DK57078, DK57154, DK57178, DK57219, DK57008, DK57135, and DK56992. The following federal agencies have contributed support: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute of Nursing Research; National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Office of Research on Women’s Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The Indian Health Service (I.H.S.) provided personnel, medical oversight, and use of facilities. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the I.H.S. or other funding sources.

Additional support was received from the University of Pittsburgh General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) (M01RR000056), the Clinical Translational Research Center (CTRC) funded by the Clinical & Translational Science Award (UL1 RR 024153) and NIH grant (DK 046204); Frederic C. Bartter General Clinical Research Center (M01RR01346); and the Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (P30AG049638-01A1). JAL was also additionally supported by K24AG045334. HNY was supported by the NIH grants R21AG056518, R01AG055770 and R01AG054434.

The following organizations have committed to make major contributions to Look AHEAD: FedEx Corporation; Health Management Resources; LifeScan, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company; OPTIFAST® of Nestle HealthCare Nutrition, Inc.; Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.; Abbott Nutrition; and Slim-Fast Brand of Unilever North America.