Wake Forest finds lifestyle slows aging

Wake Forest University School of Medicine researchers said on May 21 that a structured healthy-lifestyle program in a large U.S. clinical trial reduced frailty, a commonly used measure of biological aging, over two years. The finding came from a new analysis of the Alzheimer’s Association’s U.S. POINTER trial, which previously reported cognitive benefits from multidomain lifestyle changes. The new paper was published in the May 2026 issue of *The Journals of Gerontology: Series A*. Lead author Mark A. Espeland said the results suggest accessible habits such as exercise and healthy eating may slow “important aspects of aging.” ### What exactly did the trial test? The U.S. POINTER trial enrolled more than 2,100 adults ages 60 to 79 who were at increased risk for cognitive decline, according to Wake Forest and the published paper. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two multidomain programs for 24 months. One group received a more structured program with coaching, goal-setting and regular check-ins aimed at healthy eating, regular exercise, and cognitive and social stimulation. (news-medical.net) The comparison group followed a more self-guided health program. Wake Forest said both groups improved, but the structured group showed greater gains in overall health and frailty scores. ### What did researchers mean by “slowing aging”? The May 2026 paper measured frailty using a deficit-accumulation frailty index, a composite marker used in aging research to capture health problems that build up over time. The authors described frailty as strongly linked to risks including chronic disease, disability and mortality. (news-medical.net) Mark A. Espeland, a professor of gerontology, geriatrics and internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, said in the school’s release that the findings suggest “adopting accessible healthy behaviors may help slow important aspects of aging.” He also said the results showed the benefit of “taking a structured approach to a healthy lifestyle.” (news-medical.net) ### Why did the structured group do better than the self-guided group? Wake Forest said the structured arm added coaching, accountability and repeated follow-up rather than leaving participants to make changes on their own. Espeland said programs that provide “guidance and accountability” may be especially effective in helping people stay healthy as they age. (news-medical.net) The published article’s title — “Relative impact of multidomain lifestyle interventions on deficit accumulation frailty over 24 months in the U.S. POINTER trial” — reflects that the comparison was not between a lifestyle program and no treatment, but between two different levels of support around similar healthy behaviors. ### Did this explain the earlier brain-health result too? Wake Forest said participants in the structured program also showed stronger gains in cognitive performance, but researchers found that improvements in frailty alone did not fully explain the brain benefits seen in the trial. (news-medical.net) The school said that suggested multiple pathways may be involved in healthy aging. (academic.oup.com) The Alzheimer’s Association-backed U.S. POINTER trial had already been presented as the first large-scale clinical trial to show that accessible lifestyle interventions can protect cognitive function, and the new frailty analysis extends those results into aging-related measures. ### What should readers take from this study — and what should they not? (news-medical.net) The Wake Forest release did not say the program reversed aging or extended lifespan. The reported effect was on frailty, an aging-related index, in older adults already at elevated risk for cognitive decline. The next place to find the underlying details is the April 7, 2026 journal publication by Espeland and colleagues in *The Journals of Gerontology: Series A*, which reports the 24-month frailty results from U.S. (news-medical.net) POINTER. (academic.oup.com)