The first randomised trial of a multidomain lifestyle intervention to prevent cognitive decline in Latin America has reported positive results. LatAm-FINGERS was published in The Lancet on 13 July 2026 and presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London. The trial was funded by the Alzheimer's Association and forms part of the World-Wide FINGERS network, which began with the Finnish FINGER trial and includes the US POINTER study.
The trial enrolled 1065 adults aged 60 to 77 who were at increased risk of dementia, across 11 countries and 12 study centres in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. Participants were randomly assigned to a structured, supervised lifestyle programme or to a flexible programme of periodic health advice and were followed for two years. The structured programme combined supervised physical activity, dietary counselling based on the MIND diet, computerised cognitive training, cardiovascular risk management and regular group meetings for social engagement. Each component was adapted to local cultures, foods and settings. According to lead author Lucia Crivelli, the team adapted the model "to local cultures and habits while preserving its core elements".
Cognitive scores improved in both groups, with significantly greater improvement in the structured group. On the measure of global cognition, the structured group showed around 55% greater improvement than the flexible group. Benefits were also seen in episodic memory, which showed the largest effect, as well as executive function and processing speed. The programme proved feasible, with 82% of participants completing the two-year follow-up, and no serious adverse events or deaths were related to the intervention.
In a press release issued during the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, researchers stated that the findings support the feasibility and scalability of such programmes in low-income and middle-income settings, where the dementia burden is rising fastest, and add weight to the case for equitable access to prevention.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01278-X/fulltext
