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Cognitive
Decline, Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
[see also Cardiovascular
Plaque, Heart Disease,
Stroke]
HOMOCYSTEINE IS STRONG RISK FACTOR FOR
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE 1
Publisher's abstract: New
England Journal of Medicine. 2002 Feb 14; 346:476-483
Subjects from the "Framingham
Study" were examined over an eight-year period. Baseline homocysteine
levels measured eight years earlier were examined in relation
to those individuals who developed dementia on follow-up.
The study concluded that an increased homocysteine level is
a strong, independent risk factor for the development of dementia
and Alzheimer's disease. Occurrence of Alzheimer's nearly
doubled in subjects with the highest level of homocysteine.
Healthy homocysteine levels can be
maintained with a combination of Folate,
B12 and B6. The body-ready (conenzymated) form of these
vitamins may help overcome obstacles to metabolizing homocysteine.
Publisher's abstract: Journal
of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. 2001; 14:109-14.
When 101 patients complaining
of cognitive disturbances were investigated using brain imaging,
laboratory assessment, electroencephalography and Mini Mental
State Evaluation, the results correlated high homocysteine
in 33% of the patients with subjective memory complaints,
45% of patients with Alzheimer's disease, and 62% of the patients
with vascular dementia.
HOMOCYSTEINE AND COGNITIVE DECLINE IN
HEALTHY ELDERY 3
Publisher's abstract: Dement
Geriatr Cogn Disord 2001 Sep-Oct;12(5):309-13
Homocysteine appears to be an
independent predictor of cognitive decline in healthy elderly
and exerts a maximal effect on spatial copying skills.
BRAIN LESIONS AND SILENT STROKES RELATED
TO HOMOCYSTEINE 4
Publisher's abstract: Ann
Neurol. 2002 Mar;51(3):285-9
Cerebral MRI scans revealed that
as many as 28% of healthy people 60-90 years of age (1077
study participants) had white matter lesions and evidence
of small strokes - two predictive indicators of dementia and
stroke. Outcomes of the MRI scans were strongly associated
with homocysteine levels, and the relationship was continuous
with no obvious threshold below which homocysteine levels
were not associated with risk of disease.
Healthy homocysteine levels can be
maintained with a combination of Folate,
B12 and B6. The body-ready (conenzymated) form of these
vitamins may help overcome obstacles to metabolizing homocysteine.
Publisher's abstract: Arch
Neurol, 1998; 55:1449-1455
A three-year follow-up within
the British OPTIMA project showed that patients with baseline
homocysteine levels greater than 11.2 mmol/L showed a more
rapid progression of atrophy of the medial temporal lobe (which
includes hippocampus) over a three-year period.
IMPAIRED COGNITIVE ABILITIES MOST FREQUENT
IN GROUP WITH HIGH HOMOCYSTEINE 6
Homocysteine Metabolism, 3rd International
Conference 1-5 July 2001. Abstract 191.
The risk of impaired cognitive
function (a decline of three or more points of the Mini Mental
State Evaluation score) was almost four-fold among the 25%
of subjects with the highest homocysteine levels, compared
to subjects with 25% of the lowest values in a three year
follow-up to a community based study of the elderly Dutch.
LOW FOLATE EQUALS HIGHER RISK FOR DEMENTIA
OR COGNITIVE IMPARIMENT 7
Publisher's abstract: Dement
Geriatr Cogn Disord, 2002; 13: 225-34
The odds of developing vascular
dementia, cognitive impairment or fatal stroke was 2.42 times
higher for study participants with the lowest 25% of blood
folate readings in a five-year follow-up study of 369 healthy
subjects from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging.
HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS AND CEREBROVASCULAR
RISK FACTORS 8
Publisher's abstract: Arch
Neurol 2002 May;59(5):787-93
Higher homocysteine levels are
an independent risk factor for moderate to severe formation
of cerebral white matter in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease,
and of leukoaraiosis of the deep white matter in particular.
Healthy homocysteine levels can be
maintained with a combination of Folate,
B12 and B6. The body-ready (conenzymated) form of these
vitamins may help overcome obstacles to metabolizing homocysteine.
Publisher's abstract: J
Neurosci 2002 Mar 1;22(5):1752-62
Folate deficiency and homocysteine
impair DNA repair in neurons, which sensitizes them to oxidative
damage.
VASCULAR DAMAGE INDUCED BY HOMOCYSTEINE
A RISK FACTOR FOR ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
10
Publisher's abstract: Nutr
Rev 1999 Apr;57(4):126-9
Homocysteine is considered an
independent risk factor for vascular disease, and this finding
is consistent with the emerging hypothesis that vascular disease
is a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's
disease.
- Additional studies are underway to further
demonstrate whether folate intake or lowering homocysteine
levels consistently has a direct, causal role in risk reduction
for memory decline, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
- This article is not intended to replace the
advice or attention of your doctor or other health care
professional. Do not stop taking medications or start taking
any nutrition supplement without first speaking to a qualified
health care professional.
References
1 Seshadri S et al. Plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer's disease. N Engl J Med. 2002 Feb 14;346(7):476-83.
2 Gottfries J et al. One-carbon metabolism and other biochemical correlates of cognitive impairment as visualized by principal component analysis. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol, 2001; 14:109-14.
3 Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2001 Sep-Oct;12(5):309-13
McCaddon A et al. Homocysteine and cognitive decline in healthy elderly, Hudson P, Davies G, Hughes A, Williams JH, Wilkinson C.
4 Homocysteine, silent brain infarcts, and white matter lesions: The Rotterdam Scan Study. Vermeer SE, van Dijk EJ, Koudstaal PJ, Oudkerk M, Hofman A, Clarke R, Breteler MM. Ann Neurol. 2002 Mar;51(3):285-9.
5 Clarke R et al. Folate, vitamin B12 and serum total Homocysteine levels in confirmed Alzheimer disease. Arch. Neurol, 1998b; 55:1449-1455
6 van Goor LP et al. Elevated homocysteine levels predict lower performance of cognition in the elderly. Homocysteine Metabolism, 3rd International Conference 1-5 July 2001. Abstract 191.
7 Maxwell CJ et al. Serum folate levels and subsequent adverse cerebrovascular outcomes in elderly persons. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, 2002; 13: 225-34.
8 Hogervorst E et al. Plasma homocysteine levels, cerebrovascular risk factors, and cerebral white matter changes (leukoaraiosis) in patients with Alzheimer disease. Arch Neurol 2002 May;59(5):787-93
9 Kruman II et al. Folic acid deficiency and homocysteine impair DNA repair in hippocampal neurons and sensitize them to amyloid toxicity in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci 2002 Mar 1;22(5):1752-62.
10 Miller JW. Homocysteine and Alzheimer's disease. Nutr Rev 1999 Apr;57(4):126-9.
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