Can Lifestyle Changes Impact Alzheimer’s Disease? Early Findings from Brain Blood Flow Study
Promising Early Results from the PREVENTION Trial
In July 2025, findings from the PREVENTION Trial will be presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) as part of a Special Research Session. This selection by the AAIC organizers underscores the significance of the Pacific Brain Health Center’s research into translatable approaches for supporting brain health in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
The PREVENTION Trial, led by David Merrill, MD, PhD at the Pacific Brain Health Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute®, explored an important question: Can a program integrating lifestyle modification and intensive medical management positively impact the brains of individuals with early AD?
Our clinical teams gave people with early AD personalized tools such as lifestyle recommendations, intensive medical care, and wraparound support from dietitians, certified personal trainers, and health coaches. Our researchers investigated whether these tools improved participants’ brain health.
We enrolled patients with early-stage AD who showed biological markers of the disease and randomized them into two arms.
- Both arms in the trial received physician-guided, precision-recommendations based on individual medical workups. These recommendations covered key factors known to influence brain health, like a carbohydrate-restricted diet, exercise, stress management, adequate sleep, social activity, and mental stimulation.
- One arm additionally received more intensive support, including one year of personalized health coaching, complimentary physician-prescribed nutritional supplements, cognitively stimulating group exercise classes (FitBrain), and tailored guidance from registered dietitians.
The central question was whether this more intensive support could produce measurable improvements in brain health.
Our findings show how cerebral blood flow, or the amount of blood reaching regions of the brain, changed in the intervention. Cerebral blood flow is vital for delivering the oxygen and nutrients necessary for brain function. It is lower in individuals with AD. We also measured insulin sensitivity, which is increasingly linked to cognition and dementia. Insulin sensitivity is a measure of how effectively your body’s cells respond to insulin, a hormone that helps move glucose from your blood into cells, including your brain cells, to be used for energy.
What We Found
PREVENTION Trial Results
After one year, people in the active intervention group showed increased blood flow to areas of the brain important for memory, decision-making, and movement, which are regions often affected early in AD. These include the medial temporal lobe, precuneus, and cingulate gyrus. We used a non-invasive imaging method called arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI to detect these changes.
Further, we observed a compelling finding across all participants: individuals who were more consistent in following the intervention recommendations (regardless of which group they were in) also had higher post-trial blood flow and improved insulin sensitivity. This is noteworthy because insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, is also recognized as a potential risk factor for AD.
Why It Matters
While the PREVENTION Trial involved 60 participants, a relatively small number, making it too early to draw definitive long-term conclusions or assess generalizability to all AD patients, these initial results are promising.
Our study provides evidence that lifestyle modifications, especially when delivered with wraparound support and medical oversight, may positively influence important biological markers associated with AD.
The Importance of Cerebral Blood Flow
Reduced cerebral blood flow is linked to cognitive decline and AD progression. Interventions capable of improving CBF could potentially support cognitive function or slow the disease’s advancement.
Metabolic Health and Cognitive Risk
Similarly, the connection between insulin resistance and AD risk highlights the potential benefits of interventions that improve metabolic health.
The Role of Lifestyle in AD Treatment
As new AD drugs emerge, it remains crucial to research complementary and affordable treatments for AD because many of these drugs are not accessible to all patients and come with serious side effects. The PREVENTION Trial and other multimodal lifestyle interventions underscore the promise of interventions that support brain health by working in harmony with the body.
This research is the result of a dedicated team effort, involving committed clinicians, researchers, trainers, and, most importantly, the invaluable contributions of our participants and their families. We are eager to share this important step forward at AAIC and continue our journey toward better understanding and supporting brain health in Alzheimer’s disease.
What This Means for You
The PREVENTION Trial’s early findings suggest that focusing on lifestyle changes can improve brain blood flow and lower diabetic risk in people with AD.
Interested in exploring lifestyle modifications?
Contact us here to learn more about our Brain Wellness & Lifestyle Program.
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Last updated: June 11th, 2025