Older adults across 11 Latin American countries have demonstrated significant improvements in memory, thinking skills, and overall cognitive performance following their participation in two culturally adapted lifestyle intervention programs. The groundbreaking Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline (LatAm-FINGERS) study, funded by the Alzheimer’s Association, revealed that participants receiving more structured guidance, including regular coaching and support, experienced the most substantial benefits. These findings, presented at the prestigious Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026 in London and published in The Lancet, build upon the success of the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER), confirming that multi-component lifestyle interventions can be effectively tailored to diverse cultural contexts, healthcare systems, and community needs.
Pioneering Culturally Sensitive Brain Health Interventions
The LatAm-FINGERS study, conducted over a two-year period, enrolled 1,065 participants across 12 study sites in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. The core innovation of the study lay in its meticulous adaptation of the U.S. POINTER model. Researchers emphasized that this was not a simple translation but a deep integration of local customs, dietary habits, and resource availability.
"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," stated Lucia Crivelli, Ph.D., lead author of the study and principal investigator at Fleni, a leading 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."
To ensure the intervention’s relevance and efficacy across a wide range of settings, multinational working groups were established, comprising representatives from each participating nation. These groups played a crucial role in identifying which program components needed to remain consistent to maintain scientific integrity and which could be modified to align with local culture, prevailing climate conditions, readily accessible food sources, technological infrastructure, and participant preferences. This collaborative approach was key to overcoming potential barriers to participation and adherence.
Tailoring Interventions to Local Realities
The adaptation process extended to every facet of the lifestyle intervention. For physical activity, familiar and culturally cherished forms of exercise such as salsa and tango were incorporated alongside more traditional group workouts conducted in public parks. This approach aimed to make physical activity enjoyable and sustainable, fostering a sense of community and shared experience.
Nutrition guidance was similarly refined, adapting the established MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) to better suit regional eating patterns and the availability of local produce. The inclusion of nutrient-rich foods like avocado, quinoa, açaí, aguaymanto, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds, which are staples in many Latin American diets, ensured that participants could adhere to healthy eating recommendations without significant disruption to their established culinary traditions.
Furthermore, study materials, including educational content and instructions, were translated and culturally nuanced to resonate with local communities. Recognizing the digital divide, particular attention was given to providing extra assistance and accessible formats for participants with limited experience using digital technology, ensuring that the program’s reach was as broad as possible.
Evidence of Cognitive Gains: Structured Support Yields Superior Results
The study meticulously compared two intervention arms: the Systematic Lifestyle Intervention (SLI) and the Flexible Lifestyle Intervention (FLI). This comparison allowed researchers to assess the impact of varying levels of structure and ongoing support on cognitive outcomes.
The SLI group, comprising 539 participants, received a highly structured and supportive program. This included continuous coaching and support through supervised exercise sessions, personalized nutrition counseling aligned with the modified MIND diet, computerized cognitive training modules, regular monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors, and a significant number of 38 group meetings. These meetings were deliberately designed to foster social connection, build accountability, and reinforce healthy habits within a supportive peer environment.
In contrast, the FLI group, with 526 participants, received a more generalized approach. They were provided with periodic health education sessions and broad lifestyle recommendations. Over the two-year study, this group attended only four group meetings, covering general topics such as diet, physical activity, cognitive and social engagement, and vascular risk management. Crucially, participants in the FLI group did not receive the ongoing coaching or direct supervision that characterized the SLI program.
The results after two years were compelling. The more structured SLI program demonstrated significantly stronger cognitive improvements compared to the FLI approach. Participants in the SLI group experienced a remarkable 55% greater improvement in a composite measure of global cognition. This enhanced cognitive function was further reflected in significantly larger gains in key cognitive domains, including memory, executive function (the ability to plan, organize, and manage tasks), and processing speed (the speed at which information is processed).
Broad Applicability and Diverse Populations
The significance of the LatAm-FINGERS findings is amplified by the diverse demographic profile of its participants. The study embraced significant racial and ethnic diversity, alongside a wide spectrum of educational backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses (SES). This inclusivity is a critical strength, demonstrating that the benefits of lifestyle interventions are not limited to specific groups but can be realized across a broad range of communities.
"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," commented Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health, and a principal investigator for the U.S. POINTER study. "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."
Dr. Baker expressed confidence in the potential to leverage the structured intervention model to further engage Latino and Hispanic communities in the United States. "I am confident that we can successfully use the U.S. POINTER structured intervention to expand our tools and resources to further engage Latino and Hispanic communities in the U.S. – and beyond that to other communities – and the program will be equally effective," she asserted.
A Multi-faceted Approach to Combating Cognitive Decline
Researchers underscore the growing consensus that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are complex conditions influenced by a multitude of health and lifestyle factors. Interventions that address several risk factors concurrently are believed to offer the greatest potential for benefit. The LatAm-FINGERS findings align with this perspective, suggesting that practical, affordable, and adaptable lifestyle programs hold considerable promise for reducing cognitive decline and dementia risk, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the burden of these conditions is increasing.
Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Medical and Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, highlighted the study’s contribution to the global body of evidence. "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," she stated.
Dr. Snyder further emphasized a key takeaway from the research: the critical role of structured support. "A key message from this study is that structure and social support matter," she 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." This suggests a future where lifestyle interventions are integrated with pharmacological approaches for a more comprehensive strategy against dementia.
The World-Wide FINGERS Network: A Global Collaboration
The LatAm-FINGERS study is an integral part of the World-Wide FINGERS network, an international initiative that grew out of the pioneering Finnish FINGER trial. The original Finnish study provided robust evidence that simultaneously targeting multiple lifestyle factors could help preserve cognitive function in older adults at risk of decline. By extending this research to Latin America, the World-Wide FINGERS network is solidifying the global applicability and effectiveness of these multi-domain lifestyle interventions.
The success of LatAm-FINGERS underscores the growing recognition of the World Health Organization’s global action plan on dementia, which emphasizes the importance of risk reduction and prevention strategies. By demonstrating that culturally adapted, evidence-based lifestyle interventions can be implemented effectively in diverse settings, this study offers a tangible pathway towards improving brain health on a global scale and potentially mitigating the escalating public health challenge posed by dementia. The findings not only provide hope for individuals and families affected by cognitive decline but also offer a blueprint for public health initiatives worldwide.
