6.  High homocysteine levels are associated with decreased memory capability after age 60. April 26, 2001.  Study appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

As part of the larger third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1299 men and women aged 60 and over, none of who had previously had a stroke, participated in the study between 1991 and 1994. The median age of the participants was 70 years, 42% were men, and 89% were non-Hispanic whites. The subjects' serum concentrations of nutrients, cholesterol, folate and homocysteine were measured. Factors of gender, age, years of education, income and ethnicity were controlled for in assessment of the data.

The folate status of the participants was an important consideration because folate has been shown to significantly modify homocysteine levels. Story recall was worse among subjects with a combination of low folate and high homocysteine than in those whose homocysteine levels were normal or low. Homocysteine levels increased with age and were accompanied by a comparable decline in folate status. The researchers found independent associations between the highest levels of homocysteine and poorer recall. Among subjects in the highest quintile of serum homocysteine (>13.7 mmol/L), the odds of passing a word delayed-recall test were identical whether their folate status was high or low.(8)

References:

(1) Detailed description at: http://www.health-heart.org/why.htm.
 
(2) Graphs and descriptions of predictive relationship of homocystein levels on heart attacks and Alzheimer's at: http://www.health-heart.org/comments.htm#10
   
(3) Corrada, M.M., Kawas, C.H., Hallfrisch, J., Muller, D. & Brookmeyer, R.
Reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease with high folate intake: The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 1 (1), 11-18.
  
(4) McIlroy, S.P., Dynan, K.B., Lawson, J.T., Patterson, C.C. & Passmore, A.P. 2002. Moderately Elevated Plasma Homocysteine, Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Genotype, and Risk for Stroke, Vascular Dementia, and Alzheimer Disease in Northern Ireland. Stroke, 33, 2351 - 2356.

(5) Kruman, I.I., Kumaravel, T.S., Lohani, A., Pedersen, W.A., Cutler, R.G., Kruman, Y., Haughey, N., Lee, J., Evans, M. & Mattson, M.P. 2002. Folic Acid Deficiency and Homocysteine Impair DNA Repair in Hippocampal Neurons and Sensitize Them to Amyloid Toxicity in Experimental Models of Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Neuroscience, 22, 1752-1762.

(6) Seshadri, S., Beiser, A., Selhub, J., Jacques, P.F., Rosenberg, I.H., D'Agostino, R.B., Wilson, P.W.F. & Wolf, P.A. 2002. Plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The New England Journal of Medicine, 346, 476-483.

(7) Wang, Hui-Xin 2002. Research ties vitamin B12 and folate deficiencies with Alzheimer's disease. Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology, May 8, 2001

(8) Morris, Martha S., et al. Hyperhomocysteinemia associated with poor recall in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Clin Nutr 2001;73:927-933.

©2006 Jorge Chavez, The Alzheimer's Avoidance Association