Older adults at elevated risk of dementia demonstrated measurable improvements in memory, thinking skills, and overall cognitive performance after participating in two culturally adapted lifestyle programs spanning 11 Latin American countries. The landmark findings, which underscore the powerful impact of structured lifestyle interventions in diverse populations, reveal that the strongest cognitive benefits were concentrated among participants who received intensive, ongoing guidance, including regular coaching and comprehensive social support.
The Alzheimer’s Association-funded study, formally known as the Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline (LatAm-FINGERS), followed 1,065 older adults over a rigorous two-year period across 12 study sites. The results were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026 in London and simultaneously published in the esteemed medical journal The Lancet.
This multinational effort builds directly upon results from the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER). Together, these comprehensive trials demonstrate that multifaceted lifestyle programs combining physical activity, healthy nutrition, cognitive training, and social engagement can be successfully tailored to fit vastly different cultural frameworks, local health systems, and community resources around the globe.
Adapting Brain Health Programs to Local Cultures
For decades, clinical research into cognitive decline and dementia prevention has predominantly focused on populations in high-income Western nations, leaving significant demographic groups underrepresented. LatAm-FINGERS sought to directly address this critical gap by implementing a scientifically validated intervention model across a geographically and culturally diverse region.
"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 specialized neurological institute located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, the research teams went to great lengths to ensure the program resonated with local populations. "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 explained.
To achieve this level of localized adaptation while maintaining scientific rigor, multinational working groups were established, featuring representatives from every participating country. These collaborative groups carefully evaluated which structural components of the intervention needed to remain uniform across all sites and which elements could be flexibly adjusted to align with local traditions, regional climates, locally available foods, technological infrastructure, and individual participant preferences.
Physical activity protocols were thoughtfully redesigned to incorporate activities that were already familiar and culturally resonant for participants. Instead of relying solely on standard gym routines, exercise options included traditional and popular regional dances such as salsa and tango, alongside organized outdoor group workouts hosted in accessible public parks.
Nutritional components were similarly customized. Dietitians modified the established MIND diet—which emphasizes brain-healthy foods—to better reflect regional eating habits, agricultural realities, and food availability. Locally accessible and nutrient-dense foods such as avocado, quinoa, açaí, aguaymanto, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds were seamlessly integrated into the dietary guidelines. Furthermore, study materials were thoroughly translated and culturally adjusted for local communities, and dedicated assistance was provided to individuals who had limited prior experience using digital technology or computerized cognitive training tools.
Benefits Across Diverse Communities
The scope and demographic breadth of LatAm-FINGERS allowed researchers to evaluate how lifestyle interventions perform across varied socioeconomic landscapes. The study included significant racial and ethnic diversity, alongside a wide spectrum of educational backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses among its participants.
"LatAm-FINGERS included significant racial and ethnic diversity, and a wide range in education and socioeconomic status. The results demonstrate that brain health can be improved across diverse communities representing different cultures and with varying access to resources," noted Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatrics and internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health, who also serves as the 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," Baker added. Emphasizing the broader implications of the findings, she expressed confidence that these structured interventions can be effectively leveraged to further engage Latino and Hispanic communities within the United States, as well as other diverse populations globally.
Medical researchers and public health experts increasingly emphasize that programs addressing multiple risk factors simultaneously offer superior benefits for brain health. Because Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are complex conditions influenced by a multitude of health, environmental, and lifestyle variables, single-target interventions often fall short. With dementia rates steadily climbing on a global scale, these findings highlight the immense potential value of practical, affordable, and adaptable lifestyle programs for reducing cognitive risk, particularly within low- and middle-income countries where healthcare resources may be constrained.
"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.
Snyder emphasized that the structural elements of the program played a critical role in its success. "A key message from this study is that structure and social support matter," she noted. "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."
Comparing Structured Support With General Advice
The rigorous clinical analysis encompassed 1,065 older adults who were enrolled across 12 distinct study sites situated in 11 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. To determine the most effective delivery model, participants were randomly assigned to one of two distinct intervention arms that varied significantly in their level of intensity, structural oversight, and ongoing support.
The first group, designated as the Systematic Lifestyle Intervention (SLI) arm, comprised 539 participants. This group experienced a highly structured, intensive program characterized by continuous coaching and active support. Their intervention regimen included professionally supervised exercise sessions, tailored nutrition counseling based on the regionally adapted MIND diet, structured computerized cognitive training, regular cardiovascular risk monitoring, and a series of 38 group meetings specifically designed to foster social connection, peer accountability, and motivation.
In contrast, the second group, known as the Flexible Lifestyle Intervention (FLI) arm, included 526 participants. This cohort received periodic health education and broad, general lifestyle recommendations rather than intensive daily or weekly oversight. Throughout the two-year duration of the study, participants in the FLI group attended four group educational meetings that covered fundamental topics related to diet, physical activity, cognitive and social engagement, and vascular risk management. However, unlike their peers in the SLI group, they did not receive ongoing coaching, continuous supervision, or structured peer support groups.
55% Greater Improvement in Overall Cognition
Following the completion of the two-year study period, comparative data analyses revealed clear and decisive differences between the two approaches, with the more intensive and structured SLI program producing significantly stronger cognitive gains.
Participants enrolled in the Systematic Lifestyle Intervention group achieved a striking 55% greater improvement on a comprehensive composite measure of global cognition when compared to participants who received the more flexible, periodic advice in the FLI group. Furthermore, individuals in the high-support SLI group experienced statistically significant and markedly larger improvements across specific cognitive domains, including memory retention, executive function, and mental processing speed.
The success of LatAm-FINGERS and U.S. POINTER marks a major milestone for the broader World-Wide FINGERS network. This expanding global research consortium traces its origins back to the landmark Finnish FINGER trial, which was the first major clinical study to establish that targeted interventions addressing multiple lifestyle factors simultaneously can help preserve cognitive function and stave off cognitive decline in older adults at risk. By successfully replicating and adapting these methods across Latin America, researchers have taken a crucial step toward establishing universal, culturally adaptable public health strategies to protect cognitive health worldwide.
