Sponsored by
Vitamin B treatment could delay onset of Alzheimer's - study
Vitamin B could prove to be a revolutionary weapon against age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's, the results of a groundbreaking study suggest.
The research showed that large daily doses of B vitamins can halve the rate of brain shrinkage in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
Brain atrophy, which is a natural part of ageing, is known to happen faster in people with MCI who go on to develop Alzheimer's.
The British-led scientists believe the vitamin treatment could delay or even prevent development of the disease. They are now seeking funding for another trial which will put this theory to the test.
The research, published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE, is controversial because it defies current scientific dogma about the way to tackle Alzheimer's.
It suggests simply taking vitamins can achieve results that have so far evaded pharmaceutical companies, despite millions of pounds being spent on experimental dementia drugs.
Researchers at Oxford University, assisted by colleagues in Norway, used an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to study brain shrinkage in 168 volunteers over the age of 70 with diagnosed MCI.
Over a period of two years, half were given a daily tablet containing high doses of the B vitamins folate, B6 and B12. The rest received
a "dummy" placebo pill with no active ingredients.
At the end of the trial the effects of the vitamin treatment were found to be dramatic, and most pronounced in participants who started out with the highest rates of brain shrinkage.
On average, taking B vitamins slowed the rate of brain atrophy by 30%, and in some cases reductions as high as 53% were seen.
Professor David Smith, one of the study leaders from the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford University, said: "This is a very striking, dramatic result. It's much more than we could have predicted.
"It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay the development of Alzheimer's disease in many people who suffer from mild memory problems."
Although the trial was not designed to measure thinking ability, the researchers found that individuals with the lowest rates of shrinkage had the highest mental test scores.
Around 1.5 million people over the age of 70 in the UK - 16% of the total population - are believed to suffer from mild cognitive impairment.
MCI causes memory lapses and language problems that are noticeable but not bad enough to disrupt daily life. However, it is a known risk factor for Alzheimer's and other kinds of dementia. Half of those people with MCI go onto to develop dementia within five years.
Brain shrinkage at the rate of around 0.5% per year is normal for individuals over the age of 60 without MCI. For those with MCI, it is twice as fast on average and in people with Alzheimer's, the brain can lose 2.5% of its volume each year.
Prof Smith believes MCI and Alzheimer's are milder and more extreme manifestations of the same problem.
"The big question is, is this a continuum?" he said. "Are we seeing a disease that begins a long time ago and gets worse and worse. I personally think so."
The scientists stress that the doses of B vitamins used in the trial are much higher than would be obtained from diet or normal health supplements.
The "TrioBe Plus" pills, prescribed under medical supervision in Sweden but not available in the UK, contain around 300 times the recommended daily intake of B12 and four times recommended folate levels.
In Sweden they are used to lower high blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine. The organic compound plays a vital role in metabolism but is also linked to Alzheimer's and a range of other health problems including heart disease, osteoporosis and pregnancy complications.
Reduced rates of brain shrinkage in the MCI trial were attributed to the effect of the B vitamins on homocysteine levels.
Prof Smith warned people not to rush into taking mega doses of B vitamins to ward off mental decline, even though the study results were "immensely promising".
The long-term effects of taking big doses of the vitamins were not known, and there was some evidence that high folate intake could be linked to cancer, he said.
However, asked if he would try the vitamin treatment if he was diagnosed with MCI he said: "Yes, no hesitation. I would take it."
To date most Alzheimer's research has focused on the beta-amyloid protein deposits that accumulate in the brains of patients. But despite some promising early research the strategy has not so far proved successful in humans.
Briefing journalists in London, Prof Smith said it was difficult to get the study findings published because they challenged conventional thinking.
The research was rejected by one high-ranking neurology journal whose editor told him he was only interested in papers that related to the beta-amyloid Alzheimer's model.
"Dogma is so strong in science, and there's money involved, lets face it," Prof Smith added .
The scientists now hope to conduct a further trial specifically aimed at testing whether B vitamins can delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's. If the funding is found, results can expected in around five years.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, which co-funded the study, said: "These are very important results, with B vitamins now showing a prospect of protecting some people from Alzheimer's in old age. The strong findings must inspire an expanded trial to follow people expected to develop Alzheimer's, and we hope for further success.
"We desperately need to support research into dementia, to help avoid the massive increases of people living with the condition as the population ages."
Chris Kennard, chair of the Medical Research Council's Neurosciences
and Mental Health Board, which also provided funding, said: "The findings are very encouraging and we look forward to further research that is needed in order to test whether B vitamins can be recommended as a suitable treatment."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -8 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
