Could lifestyle changes reduce dementia risk? At the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference researchers presented results from a multicountry study in which participant testimony drew wide interest. One featured participant, Isabel Beltre, highlighted day-to-day improvements after joining the Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline, known as LatAm-FINGERS. The trial compared a comprehensive, culturally adapted program of exercise, diet counselling, brain training and social activities against minimal support and reported statistically greater cognitive performance in the intervention group.
The LatAm effort builds on the original FINGER model developed by Dr. Miia Kivipelto at the Karolinska Institute, and on similar studies such as the U.S. POINTER trial. Those earlier trials measured cognition after two years and produced modest but measurable changes: the original FINGER trial reported a 0.04 z-score advantage for the intervention arm and POINTER reported 0.029. The work aligns with the Lancet Commission findings that identified multiple modifiable risk factors—including smoking, inactivity and social isolation—that together account for an estimated 45% of dementia cases at a population level.
LatAm-FINGERS enrolled about 1,200 volunteers aged 60 to 77 across more than a dozen countries and explicitly adapted interventions to local diets, environments and resources, according to study lead Dr. Lucía Crivelli. Participants in the intervention arm achieved a 0.11 z-score difference versus controls—reported as a 55% relative improvement in the study analysis—larger than prior FINGER-style trials. The investigators and external reviewers noted a gender disparity reported by Dr. Claudia Suemoto: cognitive gains were concentrated among women, a finding the team linked to differing levels of engagement with program components.
Researchers emphasised both the promise and the limitations. Large-scale evidence that such interventions reduce dementia incidence remains lacking because trials measuring dementia onset require far longer follow-up and larger samples than cognition-focused studies. Investigators including Dr. Gill Livingston are planning trials that tailor interventions to individual risk profiles and participant preferences, and Dr. Kivipelto has pointed to emerging blood-based biomarkers as potential intermediate outcomes. Study authors also note practical challenges in scaling intensive programs and recommend distillation of effective components for broader implementation. Participants like Beltre report functional benefits, underscoring the potential public-health relevance while further evidence on dementia prevention accumulates.
