Two-Yr Lifestyle Program Boosts Cognition 55% More in Older Adults

A culturally tailor-made way of life program with ongoing help produced higher cognitive enchancment than versatile well being steering alone.

Across 11 Latin American international locations, older adults susceptible to dementia improved their reminiscence and pondering by way of way of life packages tailored to native cultures. The biggest positive aspects appeared amongst those that acquired common teaching, supervised actions and structured social help.

The Alzheimer’s Association-funded Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline (LatAm-FINGERS) tested two programs that combined physical activity, healthier eating, cognitive training and social engagement. Both were associated with better overall cognitive function, but the more intensive intervention produced stronger results.

The two-year findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2026 in London and online, while the study was published simultaneously in The Lancet. The results extend evidence from the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER), showing that programs addressing several dementia risk factors can be adapted to different cultures, communities and health systems.

“The results demonstrate for the first time in Latin America that culturally adapted lifestyle interventions can be successfully implemented across diverse countries and communities, and deliver cognitive benefits for populations that are often underrepresented in clinical research,” said Lucia Crivelli, Ph.D., lead author of the study and principal investigator at Fleni, a neurological institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“We did not simply translate the U.S. POINTER model into Spanish and Portuguese. We adapted it to local cultures and habits while preserving its core elements — making the program practical, affordable and feasible as a public health strategy,” Crivelli added.

Local cultures reshape the program

Working groups representing every participating country determined which parts of the intervention had to remain consistent and which could be adjusted. Their decisions accounted for local culture, climate, available foods, access to technology and the preferences of participants.

Exercise options included familiar activities such as salsa, tango and group workouts in public parks. Nutrition counseling modified the MIND diet to reflect regional eating habits, using accessible foods such as avocado, quinoa, açaí, aguaymanto, chia and pumpkin seeds. Materials were translated and culturally adapted, and participants with limited experience using digital technology received additional assistance.

Benefits span diverse communities

“LatAm-FINGERS included significant racial and ethnic diversity, and a wide range in education and socioeconomic status (SES). The results demonstrate that brain health can be improved across diverse communities representing different cultures and with varying access to resources,” said Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatrics, internal medicine, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health, and U.S. POINTER principal investigator. “We now have a second strong finding in a completely different part of the world, which suggests that the U.S. POINTER formula can be adapted for anybody.”

“I am confident that we can successfully use the U.S. POINTER structured intervention to expand our tools and resources to further engage Latino and Hispanic communities in the U.S. — and beyond that to other communities — and the program will be equally effective,” Baker said.

Structure and social support matter

Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are shaped by numerous health and lifestyle factors. Researchers therefore believe that addressing several risks at the same time may provide greater benefits for brain health than focusing on only one.

With dementia becoming more common worldwide, accessible lifestyle-based programs could offer practical ways to reduce risk, particularly in regions that include low- and middle-income countries. The LatAm-FINGERS results suggest that these programs can retain their main components while being adjusted to fit different cultures and levels of available resources.

“The LatAm-FINGERS results add to U.S. POINTER findings by extending the evidence to Latin America and strengthening the case that these behavioral and lifestyle interventions can be adapted for diverse populations and communities worldwide,” said Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., Alzheimer’s Association senior vice president of medical and scientific relations.

“A key message from this study is that structure and social support matter,” Snyder continued. “Addressing multiple lifestyle factors can positively impact brain health and may eventually be combined with emerging drug therapies to reduce cognitive decline and dementia risk.”

More coaching brings stronger gains

The analysis included 1,065 people at 12 sites across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. Participants were randomly placed into one of two groups that differed in intensity, organization and continuing support.

• The 539 participants assigned to the Systematic Lifestyle Intervention (SLI) received sustained coaching and supervision. The program included guided exercise, nutrition counseling based on a locally adapted MIND diet, computerized cognitive training, monitoring of cardiovascular risks, and 38 group meetings designed to provide social connection and accountability.
• The 526 people in the Flexible Lifestyle Intervention (FLI) received general lifestyle guidance and periodic health education. During the two-year study, they attended four group meetings covering diet, physical activity, cognitive and social engagement, and vascular risk management, without ongoing coaching or supervised sessions.

After two years, cognitive improvement was significantly greater in the SLI group. On a combined measure of overall cognition, participants receiving the structured intervention improved 55% more than those in the flexible program. They also showed significantly larger gains in memory, executive function, and processing speed.

Reference: “Multidomain lifestyle intervention for the prevention of cognitive decline in at-risk older adults in Latin America (LatAm-FINGERS): a single-blind, multicentre, randomised controlled trial” by Lucia Crivelli, Claudia Kimie Suemoto, Ana Luisa Sosa, Francisco Lopera, David Aguillón, Ricardo Francisco Allegri, Ricardo Nitrini, Ismael Luis Calandri, Lina Velilla-Jiménez, Mônica Sanches Yassuda, Natalia Acosta-Baena, Rosa María Salinas, Ana Charamelo, Carolina Delgado Derio, Daisy Miguelina Acosta, Jorge Mario León-Salas, Lissette Duque-Peñailillo, María Isabel Cusicanqui, Nilton Custodio, Adriana Anchia-Alfaro, Alberto Núñez-Herrera, Alejandra De Rubens, Alice Leites, Ana Vigil-Martínez, Andrés Damian, Beatriz María Flores-Blanco, Belén Custodio, Carlos Laforcada, Carlos Márquez, Clarisse Vasconcelos Friedlaender, Clara Gabriela Espinoza-Cruz, Cristina Cañadas, Cristiane Peixoto, Darina Helen Muñoz, Diego Fernández Slezak, Elainy Felix, Esteban Aguirre-Salvador, Ezequiel Ignacio Surace, Francesca Mariani, Gabriela Rojas De La Torre, Graciet Verástegui, Greta Keller, Gustavo Henrique Peixoto, Handel Arturo Morilla, Ivonne Z Jiménez-Velázquez, Jamileth Yasmín More, Javiera Francisca Rodríguez, Jéssica Abdo Gonçalves Tosatti, João Victor de Faria Rocha, Jonathan Saldarriaga-Hernández, José Carlos Huilca, José Tomás García-Molina, Joyce Graciela Martínez-Galindo, Juan Carlos Duran, Juana Guillermina Rodriguez, Karina Braga Gomes, Karolina Gouveia César-Freitas, Katherine Agüero, Lara Mora-Villalobos, Laura Osorio Asprilla, Leonardo Cruz de Souza, Ligia Soto, Lucia Cortabarría, Lucy Baldeón, Luzia Lima Carreira, Lizeth Marin-Buitrago, Maira Camila Moreno, Maira Tonidandel Barbosa, Maren Torheim, Maria Aquimara Zambone Magalhães, Maria da Graça Morais Martin, Maria Eugenia Martin, Melissa Francisca Torres, Mercedes Menéndez, Micaela Anahi Hernandez, Mónica Sánchez Granizo, Myriam Gutiérrez, Nicolás Corvalán, Paula Jimena Mora, Pedro Peguero, Rocío Ramírez-Santos, Rodrigo Sebastian Fernández, Rosa Montesinos, Sebastian Ospina-Henao, Silvia Ysabel Montes, Sofía Santero, Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki, Sylvia Josephy-Hernandez, Tomas Casildo Vazquez, Yanina Bérgamo, Yamile Bocanegra, Yleana Altagracia Muñoz, Yosselin Vicuña, Zoraida Del Carmen Lora, Miia Kivipelto, Rema Raman, Mark A Espeland, Laura D Baker, Heather M Snyder, Gustavo Emilio Sevlever, María C Carrillo, Paulo Caramelli, Agostina Carello, Carolina Ardohain Cristalli, Daniel Avendaño, Diego Querze, Emiliana Seminara, Julieta Tortonesi, Loana De los Santos, María Bellucci, Matias Alet, Micaela Arruabarrena, Romina Maur, Sofía Elgani, Vanina Banjsak, Victoria Massazza, Celeny Velarde, Deby Mallo, Griselda Gamboa, Mariana Rengel, Sergio Silva, Adalberto Studart-Neto, Ana Luísa de Meneses, Andreia de Andrade Dias, André Lopes, Bruno Rodrigues, Dalila Lima, Davi Cardoso, Eduardo Rios, Eduardo Trés, Fabiana Tameirão, Flavia Machado, Isabella Avolio, Jerusa Smid, Jéssica Pereira, Laís Figueiredo, Leonel Takada, Letícia da Silva, Letícia de Souza, Marcelo Prates, Pedro Bandeira Mendonça, Sérgio Jardim, Silvia Merlin, Valquíria Barbara, Vinícius Jeunon, Vitória Vieira, Alexandra Zepeda, Jacinta Bravo, Jose Lema, Maria Urrutia, Natalia Pozo, Oriana Lara, Rodrigo Gomez, Rodrigo Vergara, Claudia Guzman, Claudia Muñoz, Cristian Morales, Eliana Henao, Francisco Piedrahita, Gloria Deossa R, Gloria Garcia, Juan Felipe Quintero, Laura Serna, Manuela Arcila, Santiago Montaña, Victoria Tirado, Vladimir Zapata, Alessandro Solis-Perez, Diego Quesada-Loría, Esteban Zavaleta-Monestel, Luis Ortega-Araya, Paula Chinchilla-Fonseca, Sebastian Arguedas-Chacon, Vivian Chaves-Quirós, Claudia Acra-Despradel, Peter Stoeter, Rosanny Roman, Rossil Rodriguez, Tatiana Gonzales, Yohenny Castillo, Adriana Rueda, Alberto Nuñez – Duque, Gladys Bautista, Natalia Andrade, Victoria Ruiz, Ana Isidro-Pérez, Isabel Galindo Molina, Alexanderson Fernández, Fiorela López, Isabel Loyola, Maria Fe Albujar, Milagros Núñez, Pamela Bartolo, Rossanna Cruz del Castillo, Zadith Yauri, Alejandra Amestoy, Fabian Preciozzi, Florencia Arredondo, Juan Andres Abin-Carriquiry, Laura Bocos, Laura Reyes, Laura Uriarte, Leandro Dansilio, Lucia Fernandez, Margarita García-Fontes, Ramon Suarez, Roberto Superchi, Rodolfo Ferrando, Sergio Dansilio and Valeria Contreras, 12 July 2026, The Lancet.
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01278-X

Disclosure: LatAm-FINGERS and U.S. POINTER are part of the World-Wide FINGERS network, based on the original Finnish FINGER trial showing that multidomain lifestyle interventions may help protect cognitive function in older adults at risk for decline.

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