Slowing Brain Atrophy with B Vitamins

Of the physical characteristics of Alzheimer’s Disease is brain atrophy and a new study has found that B Vitamins will help slow that process down.

Nutrition for Optimal Wellness | Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS |

There over 4.5 million people in the United States suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a number that has more than doubled since 1980. By 2050, the number of individuals with AD could range from 11.3 million to 16 million (1). According to the National Institute on Aging, national direct and indirect annual costs of caring for individuals with AD are at least $100 billion (2).

Of the physical characteristics of Alzheimer’s Disease is brain atrophy (3), which results in cognitive decline (4). Now a new study (5) has found that B-vitamins may help maintain brain function by helping slow down brain atrophy. In the study, 168 patients over the age of 70 diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment were given either a combination of 800 micrograms/day of folic acid, 500 micrograms/day of vitamin B12, and 20 mg/day of vitamin B6 or a placebo for 24 months. Before and after the study, the patients underwent a brain MRI to assess brain atrophy.

The researchers found the mean rate of brain atrophy per year to be 0.76% in the active treatment group compared to 1.08% in the placebo group. They found the biggest predictor of brain atrophy to be blood levels of homocysteine. Specifically, there were 53% more patients in the B-vitamin group with homocysteine levels below 13 micromolesl/Liter than the placebo group, with the average homocysteine levels in the B-vitamin group to be 31% lower than the placebo group.

For the researchers, “The accelerated rate of brain atrophy in elderly with mild cognitive impairment can be slowed by treatment with homocysteine-lowering B vitamins” and that “trials are needed to see if the same treatment will delay the development of Alzheimer's disease.”

Reference:

1. Hebert, LE; Scherr, PA; Bienias, JL; Bennett, DA; Evans, DA. “Alzheimer Disease in the U.S. Population: Prevalence Estimates Using the 2000 Census.” Archives of Neurology August 2003; 60 (8): 1119 – 1122
2. Ernst, RL; Hay, JW. “The U.S. Economic and Social Costs of Alzheimer’s Disease Revisited.” American Journal of Public Health 1994; 84(8): 1261 – 1264
3. McEvoy et al. Alzheimer Disease: Quantitative Structural Neuroimaging for Detection and Prediction of Clinical and Structural Changes in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Radiology, 2009; DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2511080924
4. Rusinek H. Regional Brain Atrophy Rate Predicts Future Cognitive Decline: 6-year Longitudinal MR Imaging Study of Normal Aging. Radiology 2003 Dec;229(3):691-6.
5. Homocysteine-Lowering by B Vitamins Slows the Rate of Accelerated Brain Atrophy in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS One 2010; 5(9).

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