US POINTER trial: Structured lifestyle intervention delays cognitive decline

JAMA

2025-07-28

(Press-News.org) About The Study: This randomized clinical trial found that among older adults at risk of cognitive decline and dementia, a structured, higher-intensity intervention of regular moderate-to-high-intensity physical exercise, adherence to the MIND diet, cognitive challenge and social engagement, and cardiovascular health monitoring had a statistically significant greater benefit on global cognition compared with an unstructured, self-guided intervention.

Known as the US Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (US POINTER) trial, this study was developed as a follow-up to the landmark 2015 Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) trial, which demonstrated significant cognitive benefit after two years of multidomain intervention in older adults at elevated risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias. Specifically, the POINTER trial aimed to compare the effects of two multimodal lifestyle interventions on global cognitive function – structured and unstructured – in at least 2,000 at-risk older adults.

Authors: To contact the corresponding author, Laura D. Baker, PhD, email laura.d.baker@advocatehealth.org. Myra Wright, External Communications at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, can also assist with scheduling interviews. Myra can be reached at 336-830-1652 and mgwright@wakehealth.edu. To interview authors from the Alzheimer’s Association, email Niles Frantz, Director of News Media Engagement, at nfrantz@alz.org.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jama.2025.12923)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

About The Editorial: Jonathan M Schott, MD, of the University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, wrote about the study in an Editorial.

# # #

Media advisory: This study is being presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article This link will be live at the embargo time https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2025.12923?guestAccessKey=6d3f2f02-03db-4f9a-87af-bf467976588d&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=072825

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Detecting a potential behavioral biomarker for Parkinson’s disease in mice

2025-07-28

Detecting early rising Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms could improve treatment outcomes by enabling earlier treatment interventions. In a new eNeuro paper, Daniil Berezhnoi, from Georgetown University, and colleagues used machine learning technology to detect subtle, early rising behavioral changes in mouse models of PD. The researchers also evaluated whether Levodopa, the primary approved treatment for PD, can effectively treat these symptoms. Berezhnoi et al. used a previously developed motion sequencing platform to evaluate movements of different ...

Expectations about pain influence the experience in different ways

2025-07-28

Previous expectations can influence how much pain people eventually feel. These expectations can be shaped by external cues or by verbal information from clinicians about how treatments might relieve pain. Led by Lauren Atlas, researchers from the National Institute of Health explored if and how distinct ways of shaping expectations differentially influence physically hurtful experiences. In their JNeurosci paper, the researchers present their findings from 40 healthy volunteers who rated how hurt they were following painful ...

Landmark sleep study links objective sleep patterns with 172 diseases—regularity matters more than duration

2025-07-28

A groundbreaking international study, recently published in Health Data Science, analyzed objective sleep data from 88,461 adults in the UK Biobank and found significant associations between sleep traits and 172 diseases. The research, led by teams from Peking University and Army Medical University, highlights sleep regularity—such as bedtime consistency and circadian rhythm stability—as an underrecognized but critical factor in disease risk. Using actigraphy data over an average of 6.8 years, researchers identified that 92 diseases had over 20% of their risk attributable to poor sleep behavior. Notably, irregular ...

Breaking research at ADLM 2025: AI poised to revolutionize Lyme disease testing, treatment

2025-07-28

CHICAGO — Today at ADLM 2025 (formerly the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo), researchers will unveil a blood test developed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) that identifies Lyme disease sooner and more accurately than the current standard — and that could translate to vastly improved patient outcomes. A second study highlights how certain generative AI tools can empower adolescents by helping them to gather useful medical information. Together, these findings spotlight the potential of AI to make a profound, positive difference in people’s ...

CD4+ T cell-mediated immune drift in biologic treatment of inflammatory skin diseases

2025-07-28

Immune-inflammatory skin diseases (e.g., psoriasis, atopic dermatitis) involve dysregulation of CD4+ T-cell subsets (Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg) and cytokine networks (IL-17/IL-23/IL-4). Biologics targeting specific pathways—TNF-α, IL-17, IL-12/23, IL-4/13, PD-1/PD-L1—revolutionize treatment but trigger immune drift, shifting CD4+ T-cell polarization and causing adverse skin reactions. This review synthesizes mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and management strategies. Mechanisms of Immune Drift by Biologic Class (Summarized in Table 1) 1. TNF-α Inhibitors (Etanercept, Infliximab, Adalimumab) Mechanism: Blocking ...

Spotlight on technology to protect older Australians from respiratory infections

2025-07-28

Simple technology that harnesses ultraviolet light to ‘zap’ airborne viruses has been shown to significantly lower the number of respiratory infections in aged care facilities, paving the way for smarter infection control. Adapted by scientists from Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) and SAHMRI, the technology is based on using germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) appliances which purify the air with UV-C light rays and deactivate harmful micro-organisms like viruses and bacteria. The new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine trialled commercially-available GUV appliances in aged care facilities ...

There’s something in the air

2025-07-28

Researchers at the University of Tokyo explored how female body odor can influence behaviors in men. They found certain scent compounds in female body odor increased during ovulation and can subtly influence how men feel. When these scents were added to armpit odor samples, men rated them as more pleasant and faces associated with the samples as more attractive. The scents also seemed to reduce stress. The team states this is not evidence of pheromones in humans, but that smell might subtly shape how we people interact. While they’re a common staple of pop culture, especially in romantic comedies, pheromones, behavior-altering ...

New insights could help phages defeat antibiotic resistant bacteria

2025-07-28

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 16:00 UK TIME (11:00 AM ET) ON MONDAY 28 JULY 2025 New insights could help phages defeat antibiotic resistant bacteria Researchers at the University of Southampton have worked out how bacteria defend themselves against viruses called phages and the new insights could be key to tackling antibiotic resistance. Phages are seen as a promising alternative treatment to antibiotics. Unpicking how bacteria protect themselves, and how phages might overcome these defences, could be a significant step in defeating antibiotic resistant bacteria. Phages, ...

New system dramatically speeds the search for polymer materials

2025-07-28

Cambridge, MA – Scientists often seek new materials derived from polymers. Rather than starting a polymer search from scratch, they save time and money by blending existing polymers to achieve desired properties. But identifying the best blend is a thorny problem. Not only is there a practically limitless number of potential combinations, but polymers interact in complex ways, so the properties of a new blend are challenging to predict. To accelerate the discovery of new materials, MIT researchers ...

Safety of JN.1-updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

2025-07-28

About The Study: In this nationwide cohort study, no increased risk of 29 adverse events was observed after vaccination with the updated COVID-19 mRNA vaccine containing the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron JN.1 lineage in approximately 1 million adults. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Niklas Worm Andersson, MD, PhD, email nian@ssi.dk. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.23557) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, ...

US POINTER trial: Structured lifestyle intervention delays cognitive decline

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: