U.S. POINTER | Study Results | Alzheimer's Association

Study Results

Results from the U.S. POINTER clinical trial found that two lifestyle interventions targeting a combination of physical activity, improving nutrition, cognitive and social challenge, and health monitoring improved cognition in older adults at risk of cognitive decline.

While both interventions improved cognition, the cognitive benefits were even greater for participants in the more structured intervention group, helping to protect thinking and memory from the normal decline that often comes with aging over the nearly two-year period of the study.

Participants experienced cognitive improvement regardless of sex, ethnicity, genetic risk (apolipoprotein-e4) or heart health status.

Key Takeaway

These positive results underscore the message that healthy behavior has a powerful impact on brain health.

Positive actions can make a difference in brain health, and when combined into a program that targets multiple factors like physical activity, improving nutrition, cognitive and social challenge and health monitoring, we now know it can have an even more powerful impact.

The U.S. POINTER Brain Health Recipe

The structured group in U.S. POINTER followed a program with greater structure, intensity and accountability than the self-guided group. This is the “recipe” they followed:

Physical exercise: 30-35 minutes of moderate-to-intense aerobic activity four times a week, plus strength and flexibility exercises twice a week.
Cognitive exercise: Computer-based brain training program three times a week for 30 minutes, plus regular engagement in other intellectually challenging and social activities.
Nutrition: Adherence to the MIND diet, which emphasizes dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, whole grains, olive oil and fish, and limits sugar and unhealthy fats.
Health monitoring: Regular check-ins on blood pressure, weight and lab results.

Download the U.S. POINTER Brain Health Recipe infographic (PDF).

Study Extension

A majority of intervention participants agreed to participate in the U.S. POINTER Alumni Extension, which allows for four more years of observation to assess longer-term impacts of the study’s interventions on cognitive health and dementia risk.

The Alzheimer’s Association has invested nearly $50 million to lead this study to date, with additional support from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health for add-on studies exploring imaging, vascular measures, sleep and gut-related health data. In addition to its investments to date, the Alzheimer’s Association will invest more than $40 million over the next four years to continue to follow U.S. POINTER participants, and to bring U.S. POINTER to communities across America.

Additional analysis from U.S. POINTER, as well as ancillary studies, will read out results later in 2025.

"The potential to improve cognition with fewer resources and lower participant burden is compelling. It highlights that while not everyone has the same access or ability to adhere to more intensive behavior interventions, even modest changes may protect the brain."

– Laura D. Baker, Ph.D., U.S. POINTER principal investigator