Lifestyle Changes May Slow Cognitive Decline, Study Finds

New Study Shows Lifestyle Changes Improve Cognitive Health in Older Adults

A recent study involving over 2,000 individuals has provided strong evidence that making lifestyle changes can significantly enhance cognitive function and overall health in older adults. The findings were published in the journal JAMA and presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in July.

The study, known as the $50 million U.S. POINTER study, was funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and is considered the largest randomized clinical trial in the country focused on how lifestyle factors can influence thinking and memory. Researchers examined two approaches to combating cognitive decline among 2,100 participants who were at risk of dementia. Nearly 70% of the participants were female, and 31% belonged to racial or ethnic minority groups. The participants were spread across five locations: North Carolina, Rhode Island, Northern California, Houston, and Chicago.

“These are cognitively healthy people aged 60 to 79 who, to be part of the study, had to be completely sedentary and at risk for dementia due to health issues like prediabetes and borderline high blood pressure,” explained Laura Baker, a gerontology and geriatrics researcher at Wake Forest University.

From this sedentary baseline, participants made significant lifestyle changes. Half of them followed a structured program that included aerobic exercise four times per week, cognitive training sessions, and adherence to the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet. They also attended 38 neighborhood-based meetings over two years, where facilitators taught them about the importance of socialization and brain health. Additionally, they received 26 phone calls throughout the study to monitor their dietary habits.

The other half of the participants followed a self-guided approach, where they selected their own diet and brain health regimen. They attended six meetings during the study, receiving general encouragement from research staff without specific instructions. While both groups underwent physical and cognitive tests every six months, the structured group showed slightly better results.

“The structured intervention had an extra benefit over and above the self-guided approach,” said Baker.

Researchers estimate that participants in the intensive program delayed cognitive aging by an additional one to almost two years compared to those in the self-guided group. Kristine Yaffe, an expert in cognitive aging at the University of California, San Francisco, emphasized the importance of focusing on physical activity, vascular risk factors, and diet to maintain brain health.

Despite similar scores between the two groups, the study highlights the need for further research. Jonathan M. Schott, a dementia researcher at University College London, noted that the similarity in cognitive benefits across both groups suggests that even less intensive interventions could be effective. However, the absence of a control group that received no guidance complicates the interpretation of the results.

Heather M. Snyder, senior vice president for medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, explained that including a control group with no intervention would have been unethical. She emphasized the importance of supervision and encouragement in helping people commit to lifestyle changes.

Baker told NPR’s Jon Hamilton that forming new habits requires intentional effort over time. “There is no way to form a new habit or change behavior without regular, intentional work,” she said.

Looking ahead, the research team will analyze brain scans and blood samples collected during the study to determine if cognitive improvements correlate with biological changes. These results are expected to be published later this year.

The Alzheimer’s Association plans to implement the study’s findings through a $40 million, four-year follow-up project with participants. Approximately 80% of the original participants have already joined the follow-up study.

“We now need to translate these findings into public health outcomes and solutions,” said Snyder. The study underscores the potential of lifestyle interventions in promoting brain health and delaying cognitive decline, offering hope for future strategies in preventing dementia.