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Two-Year Lifestyle Program Boosts Cognition 55% More in Older Adults
SciTechDaily • • health
Key Points:
- A culturally adapted lifestyle program with ongoing coaching and structured social support led to significantly greater cognitive improvements among older adults at risk of dementia across 11 Latin American countries, compared to flexible health guidance alone.
- The two-year LatAm-FINGERS trial combined physical activity, a locally modified MIND diet, cognitive training, and social engagement, showing a 55% greater overall cognitive improvement in the intensive intervention group versus the flexible program.
- The study demonstrated that lifestyle interventions addressing multiple dementia risk factors can be successfully tailored to diverse cultures, climates, and resource levels, making them practical and affordable public health strategies in Latin America.
- The findings extend evidence from the U.S. POINTER study, confirming that structured, multidomain lifestyle programs can be adapted globally to improve brain health across varied racial, ethnic, educational, and socioeconomic populations.
- Researchers emphasized that the program’s structure and ongoing social support were key to its success, suggesting such interventions could complement emerging drug therapies to reduce cognitive decline and dementia risk worldwide.
