| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION |
1 From the Departments of Gerontology and Geriatrics (SPM, JG, RGJW, and AJMdC) and Clinical Chemistry (MF), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands; the Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands (JJ); and the Academic Section of Geriatric Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland (DJS)
Background: High concentrations of homocysteine and low concentrations of vitamin B-12 and folic acid are frequently observed in subjects with dementia.
Objective: We assessed whether serum concentrations of homocysteine, vitamin B-12, or folic acid predict cognitive decline in old age.
Design: This was a prospective, population-based, longitudinal study of 599 subjects (Leiden 85-Plus Study, Netherlands). The subjects were administered a battery of cognitive tests (including the Mini Mental State Examination, the Stroop test, a letter digit coding test, and a word recall test) at 85 y of age and yearly thereafter until 89 y of age. Serum concentrations of homocysteine, vitamin B-12, and folic acid were measured at 85 and 89 y of age. Cross-sectional associations between serum concentrations and cognition were assessed at 85 and 89 y of age. The association between baseline serum concentrations and subsequent longitudinal cognitive decline was assessed with the use of mixed linear models.
Results: In the cross-sectional analyses, serum concentrations of homocysteine and folic acid were significantly associated with cognitive performance, but serum concentrations of vitamin B-12 were not. In the longitudinal analyses, there were no significant associations of serum concentrations of homocysteine, vitamin B-12, or folic acid with rate of cognitive decline.
Conclusions: Elevated serum concentrations of homocysteine and reduced folic acid are associated with cognitive impairment in elderly persons but do not predict an increased rate of cognitive decline. The association of high serum concentrations of homocysteine and low folic acid with cognitive impairment in old age is likely to be a consequence of disease and not a contributory cause.
Key Words: Homocysteine • folic acid • vitamin B-12 • elderly persons • cognitive decline
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. G. Garrod, R. Green, L. H. Allen, D. M. Mungas, W. J. Jagust, M. N. Haan, and J. W. Miller Fraction of Total Plasma Vitamin B12 Bound to Transcobalamin Correlates with Cognitive Function in Elderly Latinos with Depressive Symptoms Clin. Chem., July 1, 2008; 54(7): 1210 - 1217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. M. de Lau, H. Refsum, A D. Smith, C. Johnston, and M. M. Breteler Plasma folate concentration and cognitive performance: Rotterdam Scan Study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2007; 86(3): 728 - 734. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Kim, M. H. Park, E. Kim, C. Han, S. A. Jo, and I. Jo Plasma Homocysteine Is Associated with the Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment in an Elderly Korean Population J. Nutr., September 1, 2007; 137(9): 2093 - 2097. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Raman, A. Tatsioni, M. Chung, I. H. Rosenberg, J. Lau, A. H. Lichtenstein, and E. M. Balk Heterogeneity and Lack of Good Quality Studies Limit Association Between Folate, Vitamins B-6 and B-12, and Cognitive Function J. Nutr., July 1, 2007; 137(7): 1789 - 1794. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. N Haan, J. W Miller, A. E Aiello, R. A Whitmer, W. J Jagust, D. M Mungas, L. H Allen, and R. Green Homocysteine, B vitamins, and the incidence of dementia and cognitive impairment: results from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2007; 85(2): 511 - 517. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Bathum, J. v. B. Hjelmborg, L. Christiansen, M. McGue, B. Jeune, and K. Christensen Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase 677C>T and Methionine Synthase 2756A>G Mutations: No Impact on Survival, Cognitive Functioning, or Cognitive Decline in Nonagenarians J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., February 1, 2007; 62(2): 196 - 201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. A. Luchsinger, M.-X. Tang, J. Miller, R. Green, and R. Mayeux Relation of Higher Folate Intake to Lower Risk of Alzheimer Disease in the Elderly Arch Neurol, January 1, 2007; 64(1): 86 - 92. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. W Miller Assessing the association between vitamin B-12 status and cognitive function in older adults Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2006; 84(6): 1259 - 1260. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Feng, T.-P. Ng, L. Chuah, M. Niti, and E.-H. Kua Homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B-12 and cognitive performance in older Chinese adults: findings from the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2006; 84(6): 1506 - 1512. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. J.M. de Craen, D. J. Stott, R. G.J. Westendorp, A. Khare, M. Lopez, J. Gogtay, E. P. Quinlivan, J. F. Gregory III, H. Refsum, A. D. Smith, et al. Homocysteine, B vitamins, and cardiovascular disease. N. Engl. J. Med., July 13, 2006; 355(2): 205 - 206. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. McMahon, T. J. Green, C. M. Skeaff, R. G. Knight, J. I. Mann, and S. M. Williams A controlled trial of homocysteine lowering and cognitive performance. N. Engl. J. Med., June 29, 2006; 354(26): 2764 - 2772. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
