Trinh reminded that lithium, if it works in humans, would likely be an adjunct therapy in reducing dementia risk.
“Lifestyle interventions are the highest-confidence, broadest-benefit strategy we have for brain health because they improve not just cognition, but also cardiovascular risk, function, and overall mortality risk. We now have large, randomized trials showing that multidomain lifestyle programs can improve or protect cognition over 2 years in at-risk older adults—like the FINGER trial and the U.S. POINTER trial,” he said.
Velazquez reiterated that low dose lithium was still being studied, but that evidence so far on lifestyle changes and habits to reduce dementia risk was stronger and more consistent.
“Physical activity, sleep, cardiovascular fitness, cognitive activity, metabolic health — all support brain function through numerous biological pathways simultaneously, including effects on inflammation, blood flow, and neural plasticity,” he explained.
“Even if a drug ultimately proves beneficial, it would likely be in addition to these lifestyle factors. Living a healthy lifestyle remains the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your brain,” he added.