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A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial
Ngandu T, Lehtisalo J, Solomon A, Levälahti E, Ahtiluoto S, Antikainen R, Bäckman L, Hänninen T et al.. Lancet (London, England), 2015-03-12
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Modifiable vascular and lifestyle-related risk factors have been associated with dementia risk in observational studies. Between-group difference in the change of NTB total score per year was 0·022 (95% CI 0·002-0·042, p=0·030). 153 (12%) individuals dropped out overall. Adverse events occurred in 46 (7%) participants in the intervention group compared with six (1%) participants in the control group; the most common adverse event was musculoskeletal pain (32 [5%] individuals for intervention vs no individuals for control). Interpretation Findings from this large, long-term, randomised controlled trial suggest that a multidomain intervention could improve or maintain cognitive functioning in at-risk elderly people from the general population.
Key findings
- Background Modifiable vascular and lifestyle-related risk factors have been associated with dementia risk in observational studies.
- Between-group difference in the change of NTB total score per year was 0·022 (95% CI 0·002-0·042, p=0·030). 153 (12%) individuals dropped out overall.
- Adverse events occurred in 46 (7%) participants in the intervention group compared with six (1%) participants in the control group; the most common adverse event was musculoskeletal pain (32 [5%] individuals for intervention vs no individuals for control).
- Interpretation Findings from this large, long-term, randomised controlled trial suggest that a multidomain intervention could improve or maintain cognitive functioning in at-risk elderly people from the general population.
Why it matters
In this two-year randomised trial in at-risk older people, a combined programme of diet, exercise, cognitive training and vascular risk monitoring produced a small, statistically significant advantage over control in the yearly change of a cognitive test-battery score (difference 0·022 per year; 95% CI 0·002–0·042). The authors say this "suggest[s]" such a programme "could improve or maintain cognitive functioning"; the record reports no dementia outcomes. Adverse events were more common with the intervention (7% vs 1%), mostly musculoskeletal pain.
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Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Participants631
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 85/100
Published in a top-tier journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Lancet (London, England)) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | The Lancet: journal h-index 1,205 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 631 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 3,664 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 281.8 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 179.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 6 / 6 | Cited by 224 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 1,220 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Miia Kivipelto: h-index 107 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 14 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25771249) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 85 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
May need a subscription Unpaywall, Europe PMC and OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 10 Oct 2026), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Ngandu, T., Lehtisalo, J., Solomon, A., Levälahti, E., Ahtiluoto, S., Antikainen, R., et al. (2015). A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet (London, England). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(15)60461-5
Vancouver
Ngandu T, Lehtisalo J, Solomon A, Levälahti E, Ahtiluoto S, Antikainen R, et al. A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet (London, England). 2015. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(15)60461-5. PMID: 25771249.
BibTeX
@article{ngandu2015-25771249,
author = {Ngandu, T. and Lehtisalo, J. and Solomon, A. and Levälahti, E. and Ahtiluoto, S. and Antikainen, R. and Bäckman, L. and Hänninen, T. and others},
title = {{A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial}},
journal = {Lancet (London, England)},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1016/s0140-6736(15)60461-5},
pmid = {25771249},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(15)60461-5}
}
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