Five everyday habits, practiced consistently and together, may help keep the brain healthier as people age. That is the conclusion of a large clinical trial led by FLENI, a leading medical institution specializing in neurology and neuroscience, with results recently published in The Lancet.
The research was led by Dr. Lucía Crivelli, Head of Adult Neuropsychology at FLENI and Principal Investigator of the LatAm-FINGERS project. The study followed 1,065 adults between the ages of 60 and 77 from 11 Latin American countries over a two-year period.
The goal was to determine whether improving five modifiable lifestyle factors at the same time could help preserve cognitive function in older adults at increased risk of developing dementia.
The five pillars were straightforward: regular physical activity, healthy nutrition, cardiovascular risk management, cognitive training, and social engagement.
Participants who completed the intensive, structured, and supervised program showed a 55% greater improvement in overall cognitive performance than those who received only general health recommendations. Researchers also found significant improvements in episodic memory, attention, and executive function—the mental skills involved in planning, organizing, decision-making, and problem-solving.
What Is FLENI and Why Does It Matter?
FLENI (Foundation for Fighting Childhood Neurological Diseases) is a nonprofit medical institution founded in Argentina that specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and research of neurological disorders.
Although its original name reflects its early focus on childhood neurological diseases, FLENI has evolved into one of Latin America’s leading neuroscience centers, treating both children and adults.
Today, the institution conducts clinical care and research across multiple specialties, including neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology, rehabilitation, epilepsy, movement disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, neuroimmunology, and advanced brain imaging.
Its multidisciplinary teams also specialize in memory disorders, healthy aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of dementia, combining patient care, medical education, and scientific research to translate laboratory discoveries into clinical practice.
Dr. Lucía Crivelli leads FLENI’s Adult Neuropsychology Department, where she specializes in the evaluation, monitoring, and research of cognitive disorders. She also serves as President of World Young Leaders in Dementia, an international organization that brings together emerging experts dedicated to dementia research.
FLENI’s leadership is particularly significant because LatAm-FINGERS was not an observational study or a lifestyle survey. It was a multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial, considered one of the most rigorous methods for evaluating whether an intervention truly produces measurable health benefits.
How the Study Was Conducted
Researchers recruited adults between 60 and 77 years of age who showed lower-than-expected cognitive performance for their age and had risk factors associated with dementia, but who had not been diagnosed with the disease.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups.
The first group received general recommendations about healthy living similar to those typically provided during routine medical appointments.
The second group participated in a structured, supervised two-year intervention program that combined physical exercise, nutritional counseling, cardiovascular risk monitoring, cognitive training exercises, and activities designed to strengthen social interaction.
The study was conducted in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. This multicenter design allowed researchers to evaluate the program across diverse healthcare systems, cultures, lifestyles, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Rather than prescribing one identical diet or exercise routine for everyone, the intervention was adapted to local customs, available foods, and community resources.
Researchers believe this flexibility is one of the study’s greatest strengths because preventive health strategies are more likely to succeed when they fit naturally into people’s daily lives.
The Five Lifestyle Habits
The intervention focused on five key areas.
The first was regular supervised physical activity, designed to improve strength, endurance, mobility, and cardiovascular fitness.
The second was a healthy diet, adapted to the cultural traditions and food availability of each participating country.
The third focused on managing cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and other conditions known to affect both heart and brain health.
The fourth component consisted of cognitive training, using structured exercises to strengthen memory, attention, processing speed, and problem-solving abilities.
Finally, participants were encouraged to maintain active social engagement through regular group activities and interpersonal interaction, recognizing that social isolation can negatively affect both emotional well-being and cognitive health.
Rather than viewing these habits separately, researchers concluded that the brain appears to benefit most when all five lifestyle factors are addressed simultaneously.
What Researchers Found
After two years, both groups showed some cognitive improvement.
However, participants in the multidomain intervention experienced significantly greater gains.
The benefits extended beyond overall cognitive performance. Researchers also documented improvements in episodic memory, attention, and executive function, all of which are essential for maintaining independence and managing everyday activities.
The program also demonstrated strong participant engagement.
More than 82% of volunteers completed the full two-year study, while average adherence to the structured intervention reached 71.6%.
These findings suggest that comprehensive lifestyle interventions can be successfully implemented over long periods, even across countries with very different healthcare systems and social realities.
LatAm-FINGERS represents the first large multicenter non-pharmacological dementia prevention trial conducted in Latin America. It was inspired by Finland’s landmark FINGER study but specifically adapted to the cultural, nutritional, and healthcare realities of the region.
The Results Do Not Represent a Cure
Researchers emphasize that these findings do not mean dementia can be completely prevented.
Age, genetics, and many biological factors continue to influence an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
Instead, the study demonstrates that there are several modifiable risk factors people can address, and that a comprehensive lifestyle approach may help preserve cognitive function for longer.
As Dr. Crivelli has previously explained, dementia prevention begins with managing cardiovascular health, maintaining proper nutrition, staying physically active, challenging the brain, and remaining socially connected.
A Message That Extends Beyond Older Adults
Although the study focused on older adults, its lessons apply much earlier in life.
High blood pressure, diabetes, physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and social isolation often develop during working age, long before memory problems appear.
For employers, the findings reinforce the value of promoting healthier workplaces that encourage movement, preventive healthcare, continuous learning, and meaningful social interaction.
Regular exercise, access to preventive medical care, opportunities for lifelong learning, adequate rest, and strong social connections support not only immediate well-being but may also contribute to healthier cognitive aging.
Researchers will continue following participants for another four years to determine whether the healthy habits established during the intervention remain in place and whether the cognitive benefits persist over time.
For now, the study delivers a clear message: protecting the brain does not depend on one extraordinary intervention, but on the consistent combination of five everyday habits—move your body, eat well, care for your heart, challenge your mind, and stay socially connected.
