Precision Prevention Emerges as the Future of Alzheimer’s Care
New findings from the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) reinforce the growing belief that the most effective approach to Alzheimer’s prevention is precision prevention—a strategy that combines personalized lifestyle interventions with targeted therapies based on individual risk factors.
"The future lies in precision prevention," stated Dr. Howard Fillit, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). “We have seen this model succeed in cancer and heart disease, and with a growing body of evidence showing neither lifestyle nor drugs can stop Alzheimer’s alone, now is the time to double down on studying the two in combination, which will lay the path for precision medicine.”
The POINTER study was unveiled at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Its results align with and expand on insights from the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), led by Dr. Miia Kivipelto. The original FINGER trial was the first major clinical study to demonstrate that lifestyle changes—such as improved diet, exercise, and cognitive training—can significantly help delay or prevent cognitive decline.
U.S. POINTER replicated and broadened these findings within a more demographically diverse American population. The trial’s structured, high-intensity lifestyle interventions were shown to support cognitive health in older adults across the board, including those with the APOE4 gene variant—a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Interestingly, while the original FINGER study found stronger effects among APOE4 carriers, POINTER's results suggest the benefits of lifestyle interventions extend to a broader genetic spectrum.
Dr. Kivipelto, whose work laid the groundwork for this approach, praised the POINTER outcomes for reinforcing the power of lifestyle modification. “The U.S. POINTER results validate the findings of the FINGER study in a more diverse U.S. population,” she noted. “This is yet another proof point that lifestyle can have a tremendous impact on the brain. By developing personalized scientific approaches to match each patient's unique biomarker profile with a combined drug and prevention plan, we are redefining how we treat and prevent Alzheimer’s.”
The ADDF is currently backing a new generation of clinical research that integrates both lifestyle and pharmaceutical strategies. Among these is Dr. Kivipelto’s MET-FINGER study, which builds on the earlier FINGER framework and aims to set a new standard for combination therapy trials.
With Alzheimer’s disease presenting a growing global challenge, the POINTER study adds to the momentum behind precision prevention. It supports the idea that no single intervention—whether lifestyle or pharmaceutical—will suffice alone. Instead, the future of brain health likely lies in individualized, multifaceted strategies that consider each person’s biological and genetic makeup.