Can lifestyle changes protect the aging brain? A large randomized trial says yes — especially when people get structured, ongoing support rather than a pamphlet.
The LatAm-FINGERS study — a two-year randomized controlled trial of 1,065 older adults at risk of dementia across 12 sites in 11 Latin American countries — tested an intensive Systematic Lifestyle Intervention (SLI): supervised exercise, nutrition counseling (a modified MIND diet), computerized cognitive training, and cardiovascular-risk monitoring, plus 38 group meetings for social support and accountability. It was compared against a lighter “flexible” program that offered only periodic health education. Results were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and published in The Lancet.
The result
The intensive group had a 55% greater improvement on a composite measure of global cognition than the control group, with significantly larger gains in memory, executive function and processing speed.
Why it matters — and the caveat
It adds strong evidence that modifiable lifestyle factors can improve cognition in at-risk older adults — and that this works across diverse, real-world populations (this study adapted the US POINTER model for Latin America). One important nuance: the researchers stress the big difference reflects not just the program’s components but the intensity of coaching and structured support — delivery matters. It shows what’s possible with sustained effort, not that any single habit is a quick fix. This article summarizes trial results and is not medical advice.