Impact of Lifestyle Interventions on Cognitive Decline in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Summary

This study investigates whether a structured lifestyle program can help improve thinking skills and liver health in adults with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). We are enrolling 45 participants, aged 18-42, who will be randomly assigned to one of three groups for six months: one receiving general health advice, a second following a supervised Mediterranean diet plan, and a third combining the same diet with a regular walking program. The main goal is to see if these diet and exercise interventions can lead to better scores on memory and reasoning tests, reduce liver stiffness measured by a painless scan (FibroScan), and improve related blood markers of inflammation and hormone balance.

Conditions

• Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
• Neurocognitive Disorders

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Structured Mediterranean Diet

A culturally adapted, structured dietary plan based on the Mediterranean diet principles, delivered through individual dietitian counseling, provision of weekly meal plans, and ongoing compliance support (food diaries, recalls, monthly check-ins).

BEHAVIORAL

Control / General Advice

This intervention consists of providing standardized, non-structured verbal and written information on the principles of a balanced diet and the benefits of regular physical activity, as per routine clinical practice. It serves as the active comparator representing minimal intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Northwest General Hospital and Research centre

  collaborator NETWORK

• Khyber Teaching Hospital

  collaborator OTHER

• Khyber Medical University Peshawar

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Dr Ayesha Qaiser, PhD Scholar · Khyber Medical University Peshawar

• Dr Inayat Shah, PhD · Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Khyber Medical University

• Dr Arshad Hussain, PhD · Northwest General Hospital, Peshawar

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

42 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-10-01

Primary Completion

2026-04-28

Completion

2026-06-15

Countries

• Pakistan

Study Locations