Foliumzuur en cognitieve achteruitgang.*

Uit twee studies blijkt dat hoge waarden aan homocysteïne en lage waarden aan foliumzuur aangetroffen worden bij mensen met duidelijke cognitieve achteruitgang, met dementie en Alzheimer.

In the current edition (September 2005) of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a research team out of Boston headed by Dr. Katherine Tucker studied data from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. Cognitive function was assessed by a series of neurological and psychological testing. At baseline, dietary intakes were assessed, and blood was drawn for measurement of not only B vitamins, but also homocysteine. Over an average of three years of follow up, it was found that certain cognitive decline was significantly associated with not only plasma homocysteine levels, but also folic acid, B6 and B12. It was noted that dietary folate protected against decline in verbal fluency as well. Elevations in homocysteine levels were also observed to be correlated with a decline in the ability to recall information. It was concluded that low B vitamin and high homocysteine concentrations appear to predict cognitive decline.

A second article also published in the current edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition dealt with 816 subjects (Men and women with a mean age of 74 years old.) from an Italian population. Baseline plasma homocysteine levels were drawn. Over an average of fours years of follow up, 112 of these individuals developed dementia, including 70 who were given a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. In those individuals with plasma homocysteine levels of greater than 15, the risk of dementia was over 200% higher, which was significant statistically. Likewise, there was an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease of 211%, which was also highly statistically significant. Additionally, low folic acid concentrations were associated with an increased risk of dementia, as well. This two-fold increased risk of dementia was similarly noted in the well known Framingham Study so the results seem to corroborate those findings.( Sept. 2005)