People at risk of dementia should make two changes, study says
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Neil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)
06:21, 13 Jul 2026Updated 06:21, 13 Jul 2026
A structured programme involving regular exercise and a brain-healthy diet could improve memory and thinking in older people at risk of dementia, a new study suggests. The trial across 12 countries in Latin America included more than 1,000 patients aged 60 to 77
They were deemed to be at risk of developing dementia due to age or factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and whether or not they smoked. Around half were assigned to complete a two-year programme, which included supervised exercise sessions four days a week and personalised dietary advice focusing on brain healthy foods such as green leafy vegetables, whole grains, berries, fish, nuts and beans
Activities were tailored to local culture and included salsa dancing, while researchers ensured diets were affordable and easy tok part in brain training on computers, and regularly had their blood pressure, weight and blood sugar recorded
The second group were given general health advice and attended four one-hour meetings over the two years. The study found that cognition, episodic memory, executive function and procession speed were all better among those following the structured programme
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Researchers said that the findings, published in The Lancet, suggest that “harmonised, non-pharmacological interventions can be implemented across diverse sociocultural settings while maintaining standardisation and producing measurable cognitive benefits in older adults”
