A two-year study in Latin America found that structured exercise, diet, and regular support can help protect older adults' memory from dementia, reports infohub.kz.
An international team of scientists presented the results of the large LatAm-FINGERS study at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2026) in London. The trial involved 1,065 participants from 11 Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Mexico. All participants were at risk of developing dementia. The findings were also published in The Lancet.
During the two-year experiment, volunteers were divided into two groups. The first group followed a regular structured program: they engaged in physical exercise (including tango and salsa dancing), adhered to an adapted MIND diet with local products (avocado, quinoa, acai), underwent computerized brain training, and attended regular group meetings with mentors. The second group received only general healthy lifestyle advice and attended occasional informational sessions.
After two years, participants in the first group with mentor support showed 55% greater improvement in overall cognitive function tests compared to the second group. They recorded significant improvements in memory, executive function, and processing speed. Study leader Lucia Crivelli from the Fleni Neurological Institute in Buenos Aires noted that adapting the program to local culture and available foods makes this approach an effective tool for preventing cognitive decline.