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MSM

Health News Archive 96 - Memory
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• High Homocysteine Related to Reduced Memory in Seniors

High Homocysteine Related to Reduced Memory in Seniors

Researchers at Boston University have found that having high blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid formed during metabolism, is related to a greater decline in cognitive function after the age of sixty than that experienced by individuals whose levels of homocysteine are lower. No such relationship between cognitive function and homocysteine levels was observed in younger people. Homocysteine has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among other adverse health conditions.

The study, published in the October 1 2005 issue of The American Journal of Epidemiology evaluated data from 2,096 participants in the Framingham Offspring Study, a long term study that seeks to identify cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease risk factors among the children of the original Framingham Heart Study subjects. The participants, who were determined to be free of dementia, were divided into three age groups: 40–49 years, 50–59 years, and 60–82 years.

A reduction in performance on a group of cognitive tests was found to be correlated with high homocysteine levels regardless of adjustment for other factors, but only in the 60 to 82 year old group. Having higher blood levels of vitamin B12 was related to improved cognitive performance.

Lead researcher and professor of epidemiology in the Statistics and Consulting Unit of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Boston University, Merrill F. Elias, stated, "We were excited to find this result because it indicates that preventing cognitive difficulties down the road might be something individuals can take charge of well before they reach the age of 60. Managing homocysteine levels by taking vitamins B12, B6, folate and betaine (trimethylglyceine TMG) could offer a side-effect-free way to prevent difficulties in memory and recall later in life."