Dr. Miia Kivipelto conducted a study involving 1,260 older individuals who were at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Within this group, she randomly assigned individuals to continue their normal levels of healthcare or to participate in a lifestyle intervention focused on improved diet, exercise, and social interaction.
After only two years, people who participated in the lifestyle intervention showed improvements over the control group in their mental functions, such as memory, executive function, and speed tests of their cognitive skills. Dr. Kivipelto was especially pleased to see the effect since the control group also received adequate and appropriate health care. She and her team will continue the study by doing a follow-up in seven years to determine if the improvements continue over time.
Find the original article with more details and a video report at Time.com