A two-year study across Latin America has found that older adults at risk of dementia improved their memory and thinking after following lifestyle programs built around exercise, healthy eating, cognitive training and social engagement.
The biggest gains came from a more structured program with regular coaching and support, according to findings presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2026 in London and published in The Lancet.
The study, known as the Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline, or LatAm-FINGERS, followed 1,065 people at 12 sites in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups.
The Systematic Lifestyle Intervention group included 539 participants. They received continuous coaching and support through supervised exercise, nutrition counselling based on a modified MIND diet, computerised cognitive training, cardiovascular risk monitoring, and 38 group meetings designed to encourage social connection and accountability.
The Flexible Lifestyle Intervention group included 526 participants. They received periodic health education and broad lifestyle recommendations. Over two years, they attended four group meetings covering diet, physical activity, cognitive and social engagement, and vascular risk management, but did not receive continuing coaching or supervision.
After two years, participants in the more structured group had a 55 percent greater improvement on a composite measure of global cognition than participants in the less intensive group.
They also had significantly larger improvements in memory, executive function and processing speed.
“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, 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.
Researchers said the program was adapted to local culture, climate, available foods, access to technology and participant preferences.
Exercise options included salsa and tango, along with outdoor group workouts in public parks. Nutrition guidance modified the MIND diet to fit regional eating habits and food availability, incorporating foods such as avocado, quinoa, açaí, aguaymanto, chia and pumpkin seeds.
Study materials were translated and adjusted for local communities, and extra help was provided to participants with limited experience using digital technology.
“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, 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,” Baker said.
Heather M. Snyder, Alzheimer’s Association senior vice president of medical and scientific relations, said the findings added to evidence from the United States.
“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,” Snyder said.
“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.”
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