Latest news with #BrainHealthThroughLifestyleInterventiontoReduceRisk
Korea Herald
21 hours ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
RESEARCH ADVANCES FROM THE 2025 ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
TORONTO, July 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New research results reported at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference ® 2025 (AAIC ®) advanced scientific understanding of risk, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Highlights include: AAIC is the premier annual conference for presentation and discussion of the latest Alzheimer's and dementia research. This year's conference in Toronto attracted nearly 19,000 registered attendees and included more than 6,400 scientific submissions. Positive Results from the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) Study The Alzheimer's Association U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) — a two-year, multi-site clinical trial testing two different lifestyle interventions in a representative population of older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia — found that both interventions improved cognition in older adults at risk of cognitive decline. Trial participants in the structured intervention showed greater improvement on global cognition compared to the self-guided intervention, helping to protect against normal age-related decline for up to two years. This means that, relative to the self-guided group, participants in the structured group performed at a level comparable to adults one to nearly two years younger in age — an effect that likely increases resilience against cognitive decline. This extra benefit was similar across all subgroups of U.S. POINTER participants — regardless of sex, ethnicity, genetic risk or heart health (blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels). More than 30% of participants were from groups that have been historically underrepresented in dementia research. Both interventions focused on increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, cognitive and social challenge, and health monitoring. The structured intervention differed from the self-guided intervention in intensity, structure, accountability and the support provided. U.S. POINTER was a large-scale, rigorous, randomized controlled clinical trial. These positive results underscore the message that healthy behavior has a powerful impact on brain health, and encourage us to look at the potential for a combination of a lifestyle program and drug treatment as the next frontier in the fight against cognitive decline and possibly dementia. First Clinical Practice Guideline For Blood Biomarker Tests in Alzheimer's Diagnosis The Alzheimer's Association released its first evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) on the use of blood-based biomarker (BBM) tests at AAIC 2025, a big step toward transforming Alzheimer's diagnosis and management in specialty care settings. The CPG provides rigorous, evidence-based recommendations to help specialist clinicians to use BBM tests more confidently and consistently. The recommendations are aimed at a variety of specialists in settings like neurology, psychiatry, geriatrics and more who diagnose and evaluate cognitive impairment, and are based on a review of available evidence through November 2024. The recommendations suggest that specialists can use BBM tests as a triaging tool in the diagnostic workup of Alzheimer's when they have at least 90% sensitivity and 75% specificity, but a positive triaging test should always be confirmed with more traditional tests like cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) or amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The guidelines permit BBM tests with at least 90% sensitivity and 90% specificity to substitute for PET imaging or CSF testing. However, experts caution that many commercially available BBM tests do not yet meet these thresholds. This CPG is part of ALZPro ™ from the Alzheimer's Association, the comprehensive hub of resources and tools for health care professionals and researchers from across disciplines to reduce risk, advance early detection, improve care and expand equitable access for all communities. Combination of Heart-Health Drugs May Also Protect the Brain Taking a combination of common drugs used to treat blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes may have an added benefit: slower cognitive decline. A study of more than 4,500 older adults showed cognitive test scores similar to people three years younger for participants who took a combination of drugs targeting vascular or metabolic conditions, all of which are known risk factors for dementia. Participants who were on all three of the vascular drugs had the greatest cognitive benefits, and their brains showed fewer signs of Alzheimer's-related changes at autopsy. For those who took only two of the drugs, the most effective pairing for cognitive protection was blood pressure and cholesterol drugs. Lead Pollution Linked to Memory Problems in Older Adults Historic pollution levels from the era of leaded gasoline may be contributing to cognitive issues 50 years later, according to a first-of-its-kind research study. Researchers tracked how exposure to airborne lead from 1960-1974 — when leaded gasoline use was at its highest — impacted brain health later in life. The report estimated that half the U.S. population at that time, more than 170 million people, were exposed to high lead levels in early childhood. The researchers linked the pollution data from the 60s and 70s to a contemporary study conducted between 2012 and 2017. They estimated that 17 to 22% of people living in areas with moderate or high atmospheric lead reported memory issues. While leaded gas has long been phased out, other sources of exposure remain, such as old lead paint, pipes and industrial pollution. Experts say people who had past lead exposure should focus on reducing other risk factors for dementia, including managing high blood pressure, quitting smoking and avoiding social isolation. Lifestyle Change Benefits May Be Strongest for Carriers of Alzheimer's Risk Gene People with a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease may benefit the most from healthy lifestyle interventions like walking, according to a decade of data from three large international studies. Older adults who carry the Alzheimer's risk gene known as APOE4 had higher cognitive benefits from non-drug interventions like exercise, diet and cognitive training than non-carriers. In this study, walking was found to be the most effective healthy habit for slowing down cognitive damage. Like many healthy lifestyle changes, the key was making it a habit, as the study showed that sticking with it for at least two years produced cognitive benefits up to seven years later. Participants in SNAP Food Assistance Program Had Slower Cognitive Decline People who participated in the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) had slower cognitive decline over 10 years than non-participants, according to new research reported at AAIC 2025. Scientists examined data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study to compare participants in SNAP, which helps low-income individuals and families buy food, to those who were eligible for the program but didn't participate. They found that SNAP participants had a 0.10% slower decline in overall cognitive function. The difference is significant in the long-term, adding up to an estimated two to three additional years of cognitive health over the study's 10-year period. The study group of 1,131 SNAP participants studied included Whites, Blacks and Hispanics. A control group included 1,216 people who were SNAP-eligible but didn't participate. Researchers found that all groups benefitted, but White participants showed much slower decline than other groups. The findings highlight the potential benefits of food assistance programs to support older adults' cognitive health. Real-World Results for New Alzheimer's Drugs Show Effectiveness, Patient Satisfaction While newly available anti-amyloid Alzheimer's disease drugs have shown effectiveness in tightly controlled clinical trials, they have not been tested in real-world settings until now. Dozens of abstracts reported at AAIC 2025 showed that real world experience with the drugs lecanemab and donanemab produced comparable or better safety to large clinical trials, and patients were satisfied with the results. Researchers tracked the drugs' safety and effectiveness in patients from a variety of settings including U.S. clinics, memory care centers and international universities. Several of the sites are part of the Alzheimer's Network for Treatment and Diagnostics (ALZ-NET), which was created by the Alzheimer's Association to collect voluntary real-world data about patients receiving the new treatments, track their long-term health, and share data with scientists and clinicians. New Insights Into Cognitive Health Differences Between Men and Women New research announced at AAIC 2025 sheds light on crucial differences between men and women in risk for Alzheimer's and other diseases that cause dementia. One study found that traumatic brain injuries (TBIs, a well-known risk factor for dementia) were more likely to shrink dementia-related areas of the brain in women than men. Another looked closer at "chemobrain" — declines in thinking and memory reported by about one-third of women receiving breast cancer chemotherapy. Women make up nearly two-thirds of the more than 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer's. The chemobrain study is the first to show that brain changes, inflammation and shrinkage related to the cancer treatment are connected to symptoms like memory lapses and trouble focusing or finding words. The study adds to growing evidence that chemotherapy impacts brain health. The Alzheimer's Association supports research to better understand sex-based differences in cognitive health and prevent negative side effects for chemo patients. Clinicians can learn more about early detection, diagnosis and treatment of dementia using ALZPro, the newly-launched library of online tools and resources for professionals from the Alzheimer's Association. The Alzheimer's Association extends a thank you to the AAIC 2025 Platinum Sponsors: Biogen, Eisai, Lilly and Novo Nordisk. About the Alzheimer's Association International Conference ® (AAIC ®) The Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world's largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer's and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer's Association's research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community. AAIC 2025 home page: AAIC 2025 newsroom: AAIC 2025 hashtag: #AAIC25 About the Alzheimer's Association ® The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia ®. Visit or call 800.272.3900.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
You can slow cognitive decline as you age, large study finds. Here's how
At 62, Phyllis Jones felt trapped in darkness. She was traumatized by her mother's recent death, ongoing pandemic stress and an increasingly toxic work environment. A sudden panic attack led to a medical leave. Her depression worsened until the day her 33-year-old son sadly told her, 'Mom, I didn't think I would have to be your caregiver at this stage in your life.' 'For me, that was the wake-up call,' Jones, now 66, told CNN. 'That's when I found the POINTER study and my life changed. What I accomplished during the study was phenomenal — I'm a new person.' The Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk, or US POINTER study, is the largest randomized clinical trial in the United States designed to examine whether lifestyle interventions can protect cognitive function in older adults. 'These are cognitively healthy people between the ages of 60 and 79 who, to be in the study, had to be completely sedentary and at risk for dementia due to health issues such as prediabetes and borderline high blood pressure,' said principal investigator Laura Baker, a professor of gerontology, geriatrics and internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Approximately one-half of the 2,111 study participants attended 38 structured team meetings over two years in local neighborhoods near Chicago, Houston, Winston-Salem, Sacramento, California, and Providence, Rhode Island. During each session, a trained facilitator provided guidance on how to exercise and eat for the brain, and explained the importance of socialization, the use of brain-training games, and the basics of brain health. The team leader also held the group accountable for logging blood pressure and other vitals. Physical and cognitive exams by a physician occurred every six months. At six team meetings, the other half of the study's participants learned about brain health and were encouraged to select lifestyle changes that best suited their schedules. This group was self-guided, with no goal-directed coaching. These participants also received physical and cognitive exams every six months. The two-year results of the $50 million study, funded by the Alzheimer's Association, were simultaneously presented Monday at the 2025 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto and published in the journal JAMA. 'We found people in the structured program appeared to delay normal cognitive aging by one to nearly two years over and above the self-guided group — people who did not receive the same degree of support,' Baker said. 'However, the self-guided group improved their cognitive scores over time as well.' Exercise, diet and socializing are key Exercise was the first challenge. Like the other groups across the country, Jones and her Aurora, Illinois, team received YMCA memberships and lessons on how to use the gym equipment. Jones was told to use aerobic exercise to raise her heart rate for 30 minutes a day while adding strength training and stretching several times a week. At first, it wasn't easy. The study participants wore fitness trackers that monitored their activity, Jones said. 'After that first 10 minutes, I was sweating and exhausted,' she said. 'But we went slow, adding 10 minutes at a time, and we kept each other honest. Now I just love to work out.' Four weeks later, teams were given a new challenge — beginning the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND diet. The diet combines the best of the Mediterranean diet with the salt restrictions of the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. 'They gave us a refrigerator chart with foods to limit and foods to enjoy,' Jones said. 'We had to eat berries and vegetables most days, including green leafy veggies, which was a separate item. We had to have 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil once every day.' Foods to limit included fried food, processed meat, dairy, cheese and butter. Restrictions were also in place for sugary sweets. 'But we could have dessert four times a week,' Jones added. 'That's awesome because you're not completely depriving yourself.' Another pillar of the program was requiring study participants to familiarize themselves with their vital signs, Wake Forest's Baker said. 'If at any point we asked them, 'What's your average blood pressure?' they should be able to tell us,' she said. 'We encouraged people to monitor their blood sugar as well.' Later came brain training, via memberships to a popular, Web-based cognitive training app. While some scientists say the benefits of such online brain programs have yet to be proven, Jones said she enjoyed the mental stimulation. Becoming better at socializing was another key part of the program. The researchers tasked teams with assignments, such as speaking to strangers or going out with friends. 'I found my best friend, Patty Kelly, on my team,' Jones said. 'At 81, she's older than me, but we do all sorts of things together — in fact, she's coming with me to Toronto when I speak at the Alzheimer's conference. 'Isolation is horrible for your brain,' she added. 'But once you get to a point where you are moving and eating healthy, your energy level changes, and I think you automatically become more social.' As the study progressed, the researchers reduced check-ins to twice a month, then once a month, Baker said. 'We were trying to get people to say, 'I am now a healthy person,' because if you believe that, you start making decisions which agree with the new perception of yourself,' she said. 'So in the beginning, we were holding their hands, but by the end, they were flying on their own,' Baker added. 'And that was the whole idea — get them to fly on their own.' 'Brain health is a long game' Because researchers tracked each team closely, the study has a wealth of data that has yet to be mined. 'On any given day, I could go into our web-based data system and see how much exercise someone's doing, whether they've logged into brain training that day, what's their latest MIND diet score, and whether they'd attended the last team meeting,' Baker said. 'We also have sleep data, blood biomarkers, brain scans and other variables, which will provide more clarity on which parts of the intervention were most successful.' Digging deeper into the data is important, Baker says, because the study has limitations, such as the potential for a well-known phenomenon called the practice effect. 'Even though we use different stimuli within tests, the act of taking a test over and over makes you more familiar with the situation — you know where the clinic is, where to park, you're more comfortable with your examiner,' she said. 'You're not really smarter, you're just more relaxed and comfortable, so therefore you do better on the test,' Baker said. 'So while we're thrilled both groups in US POINTER appear to have improved their global cognition (thinking, learning and problem-solving), we have to be cautious in our interpretations.' It's important to note the POINTER study was not designed to provide the more immersive lifestyle interventions needed for people with early stages of Alzheimer's, said Dr. Dean Ornish, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Ornish published a June 2024 clinical trial that found a strict vegan diet, daily exercise, structured stress reduction and frequent socialization could often stop the decline or even improve cognition in those already experiencing from early-stage Alzheimer's disease, not just for those at risk for it. 'The US POINTER randomized clinical trial is a landmark study showing that moderate lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, socialization and more can improve cognition in those at risk for dementia,' said Ornish, creator of the Ornish diet and lifestyle medicine program and coauthor of 'Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases.' 'It complements our randomized clinical trial findings which found that more intensive multiple lifestyle changes often improve cognition in those already diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease,' Ornish said. 'But the US POINTER study showed that more moderate lifestyle changes may be sufficient to help prevent it.' In reality, two years isn't sufficient to track brain changes over time, said study coauthor Maria Carillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Association. 'We really want to make recommendations that are evidence based,' Carillo told CNN. 'That's why we have invested another $40 million in a four-year follow-up, and I believe over 80% of the original participants have joined. 'Brain health is a long game,' she added. 'It's hard to track, but over time, change can be meaningful.'
