Vitamin B No Help for Alzheimer's

Reducing homocysteine levels doesn't slow cognitive decline, study finds

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

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TUESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin B supplements don't slow cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds.

The theory was that vitamin B might slow the progression of Alzheimer's symptoms because the nutrient lowers homocysteine levels, which are elevated in people with the disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced by the body and has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

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"The results of the study indicate that we were successful in lowering homocysteine levels, but this did not translate into cognitive or clinical benefits," said lead researcher Dr. Paul S. Aisen, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences. "The disappointing conclusion is that high-dose B vitamin treatment is not helpful in Alzheimer's disease."

Aisen thinks this study clearly demonstrates that people should not be taking vitamin B thinking it will combat the disease.

"This treatment is not useful and should not be recommended," Aisen said. "Because Alzheimer's disease is one of the major health-care problems in this country and worldwide, and because our current treatments are not adequately effective, many people are seeking alternatives, and one alternative has been to use vitamin therapy."

The findings were published in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For the study, Aisen's group randomly assigned 409 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease to high doses of folate, vitamin B6 and B12 or a placebo. The researchers then measured the rate of cognitive decline using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale.

Over 18 months, they found that although vitamin B reduced homocysteine levels, there was no reduction in the rate of cognitive decline among patients taking the supplements. In fact, there was no significant difference in the scores on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale among those taking supplements and those receiving a placebo.

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