Posted on Tuesday, September 2, 2025
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by Outside Contributor
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Sponsored By – NeuroReserve
September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and we want to keep you informed of the latest news.
Just a few weeks ago, at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2025 (AAIC 2025), groundbreaking news emerged in the field of cognitive aging and Alzheimer’s prevention, namely: the U.S. POINTER clinical trial results [1]. US POINTER is the largest study undertaken in the US to assess how a combination of lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. This important study showed that older people at risk for cognitive decline can significantly improve their cognitive performance with lifestyle changes. As part of our commitment to helping AMAC members protect their brain health, we’ll share details of what U.S. POINTER is, what it did, and why it matters for everyone who wants to take better care of their brains.
The Strategy for U.S. POINTER: What and How
This study is one of the most comprehensive studies undertaken to date on this subject, recruiting over 2000 people to participate for two years in these interventions.
Who Did They Choose to Participate?
- Adults 60-79 years old
- Not a good diet
- Not regular exercisers
- Plus other factors, like family history of memory impairment, cardiovascular risk, and diverse racial backgrounds
- In short, they chose people who are AT RISK of cognitive decline and dementia.
What Did They Do?
The researchers divided the participants into 2 groups: a “Self-Guided” low-intensity intervention and a “Structured” lifestyle intervention that intensively promoted four lifestyle changes. Here are the four:
1. Diet:
- They chose the MIND Diet as the nutritional intervention for the trial, a version of the Mediterranean diet that emphasizes consumption of 9 brain-healthy food groups, while limiting another 5 unhealthy food groups. You can find more details on the MIND diet here.
2. Exercise:
- Moderately intense aerobic exercise for 120 min/week spread over 4 days/week plus very active aerobic exercise for 90 min/week
- Strength and balance for 15-20 minutes, 2 days/week.
3. Cognitive and Social Challenge:
- Computerized cognitive training, 3 times/week (30 levels/week)
- Socially and intellectually challenging activities at least 1 day/week
4. Health Monitoring:
- Cardiovascular health review with a medical advisor every 6 months
- Blood pressure reading, 1 time/month
Making It Stick: How Did People Maintain These Four Interventions?
Despite the challenge of maintaining all four interventions for two years, participants were able to pull it off.
The key was accountability.
People in the intensive “Structured” group were divided into teams of 12-15 fellow participants – an instant accountability driver. Each team met 38 times over two years. Also, each participant met with study staff by telephone 26 times and made health monitoring visits 7 times over the two years. The “Self-Guided” group chose what interventions to implement and met only a few times with other participants and staff.
The result was spectacular compliance.
A key insight from U.S. POINTER is that big, brain-healthy changes in our lifestyles are possible, and they can be maintained for a long time. Working with accountability partners with the same goals can really help you stick to the program.
Perspective:
“The U.S. POINTER study shows how powerful healthy lifestyle choices can be for protecting brain function in people at higher risk for cognitive decline — and that those with support to make these changes improved more than those simply given the information.”
~ Jennifer Ventrelle, RDN
U.S. POINTER Researcher, NeuroReserve Medical Advisor
The Result: Cognitive Abilities Improved
All the hard work paid off; both the structured and self-guided groups showed improved cognitive function. Improvements were seen in Executive Function, Memory, and Processing Speed.
The Big Takeaways: Offsetting Brain Aging 1-2 Years, and More
One of the biggest insights from U.S. POINTER is that the “Structured” group’s performance could be compared to offsetting cognitive decline by 1-2 years. One to two years may not seem like much, but bear in mind one thing: This was only measured over two years. Stalling cognitive decline by 1-2 years over a two-year period is almost like hitting the brakes on cognitive aging.
Researchers are excited to continue to follow trial participants to track how these cognitive improvements continue and potentially compound over time.
Here are other big takeaways from U.S. POINTER:
- Not too late to change: Participants were 60+ and saw big changes
- Improve, not just maintain: Results showed cognitive improvements, not just maintenance of cognitive abilities
- All groups benefited: Participants were from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and all backgrounds benefited. In addition, a person’s sex or their genetic predisposition (APOE4 carrier) did not matter. That is, the benefits are extended to them regardless.
These results are great news for anyone who wants to be proactive about their brain and cognitive health.
The U.S. POINTER trial concluded that lifestyle changes significantly improve cognition in older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia.
AMAC partner NeuroReserve is particularly proud that two of our Medical and Scientific Advisors were involved with this trial, both from Rush University Medical Center. Jennifer Ventrelle R.D.N., was the Lead Dietitian of the study, and Thomas Holland M.D., was the Study Clinician at the Chicago site.
Start Your Own Brain Health Journey
We are offering a free guide, “6 Steps to Building Lasting Brain Power,” with tips, recipes, and activities similar to those in the US POINTER program to help you get started. Download it here.
Diet is a pivotal part of this program. If you can’t always eat the perfect diet, consider supplementation. Patent-pending RELEVATE® by NeuroReserve (an AMAC member benefit) was formulated by leading doctors to mimic the 17 core nutrients of the MIND diet and fill the gaps between this powerful diet and what people actually eat. AMAC members get 50% off their first order.
References
[1] Baker, L. D., et al. (2025). Structured vs Self-Guided Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for Global Cognitive Function: The US POINTER Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/JAMA.2025.12923
Read the full article here