A new study has found that a combination of healthy eating, regular exercise, brain training, and social engagement can significantly protect brain function in older adults at risk of dementia.
The U.S. POINTER clinical trial, published on Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), represents the largest randomised clinical trial ever conducted on lifestyle interventions for brain health.
The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto.
Researchers followed 2,111 participants aged 60-79 across Chicago, Houston, North Carolina, Northern California, and Rhode Island for two years
Two-thirds of the participants were women, 31% were from ethnic minority groups, and none showed signs of cognitive impairment.
However, all participants had sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, and at least two risk factors for dementia, including a family history of cognitive decline and high blood pressure.
Researchers split the participants into two groups — one followed a structured lifestyle programme, while the other took a self-guided programme.
Those in the structured group attended 38 team sessions over the two years. At each session, a trained facilitator offered support on how to exercise and eat for brain health, highlighted the benefits of social interaction and brain-training games, and discussed the basics of cognitive well-being.
The team leader also held the group accountable for tracking vitals like blood pressure.
Meanwhile, the self-guided group attended only six meetings during the study. They received educational materials and resources, learned about brain health, and were encouraged to adopt lifestyle changes at their own pace, without targeted coaching or follow-up.
Physical and cognitive exams by a physician also occurred every six months for both teams.
The researchers discovered that participants in the structured programme, who received regular guidance and support, experienced a delay in cognitive aging by up to two years.
They also observed that those in the self-guided group, despite having less support, showed gradual improvement in their cognitive scores over time.
“We found people in the structured program appeared to delay normal cognitive aging by one to nearly two years over and above the self-guided group, people who did not receive the same degree of support,” Laura Baker, the principal investigator, said.
“However, the self-guided group improved their cognitive scores over time as well.”
Phyllis Jones, 66, who joined the study due to her family history of vascular dementia and took part in the structured programme, said the experience “woke me up”.
Following the programme, she found a new job and built a friendship with fellow participant Patty Kelly, 81. Both women said they noticed improvements in their thinking and memory.
Peter Gijsbers, 72, who was in the self-guided group, shared that he began walking more, volunteering, and eating healthier while highlighting the importance of staying self-motivated.
However, several experts revealed that the study has some limitations.
Lon Schneider, an Alzheimer’s expert at the University of Southern California, observed that the difference in cognitive improvement between the two groups was “very small,” raising doubts about the true impact of the intensive programme.
Kristine Yaffe, another expert, added that the cognitive improvement recorded in the trial was likely “less related to Alzheimer’s disease and more related to vascular changes in the brain”.
She explained that for both groups, the biggest improvement was seen in executive function, skills such as planning and organizing.
While memory showed early improvement in both groups, it later declined, and there was no significant difference in final memory scores. Meanwhile, memory loss remains a core symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.
Copyright 2025 TheCable. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from TheCable.
Follow us on twitter @Thecablestyle