High Homocysteine, Low B's Linked to Mental Decline

BOSTON--Elevated homocysteine levels appear linked to cognitive impairment, with a common link of deficiencies in several B vitamins including B6, B12 and folate. Researchers from the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University assessed changes in plasma homocysteine and B vitamins, as well as B vitamin intake, over a three-year period in 321 aging men, and compared to cognitive measures. By the end of the study, declines in some measures of cognitive function, including spatial construction and verbal fluency, were significantly associated with plasma and dietary folate. The researchers concluded high levels of homocysteine and low intake of B vitamins are linked to cognitive decline.

The study appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (82, 3:627-35, 2005).