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.

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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

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