Re: High Homocysteine Tied to Lower Mental Ability

On 5 Oct 2005 18:49:05 -0700, "Frankie" <birm47@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Although not mentioned in this article, elevated homocysteine is a
>potent independent cardiovascular risk factor that correlates well with
>the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.
>
>Frankie
>
>High Homocysteine Tied to Lower Mental Ability
>
>MedlinePlus Newsletter article
>
>Reuters Health Information
>By Megan Rauscher
>
>Tuesday, October 4, 2005
>
>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In older people, higher blood levels of
>homocysteine are associated with lower mental functioning, new data
>indicate.
>
>Homocysteine, an amino acid that has been tied to heart disease and
>stroke, can be lowered with folate and vitamins B6 and B12. The latest
>finding suggests to researchers that B vitamin supplements may help
>prevent homocysteine-related cognitive decline.
>
>"My concern," Dr. Merrill F. Elias of Boston University told Reuters
>Health, "is that many physicians still do not routinely include
>homocysteine determinations as part of the physical examination."
>
>The latest data come from the Framingham Offspring Study, the ongoing
>survey that's tracking the health of successive generations living in
>the Massachusetts community.
>
>For people over age 60, Elias and his colleagues report in the American
>Journal of Epidemiology, increasing levels of total homocysteine in the
>blood were associated with decreasing levels of cognitive performance
>in several areas.
>
>"None of the individuals in the study had experienced stroke and none
>were demented, but multiple cognitive abilities were adversely affected
>by increasing levels of homocysteine," Elias said.
>
>"Most importantly," he added, "none of the relations observed were seen
>for persons under 60 years of age, suggesting that interventions to
>lower homocysteine early in the adult life span could prevent even
>modest cognitive deficit related to higher levels of homocysteine."
>
>It is also noteworthy, Elias said, that high vitamin B12 levels
>correlated with better cognitive performance.
>
>Results of ongoing clinical trials, the researcher added, "hold much
>promise that treatment with folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 may
>result in lowering of homocysteine."
>
>SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, October 1, 2005.
>
>URL of this page:
>http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_27272.html
> (*this news item will not be available after 11/03/2005)


>From 2004: DHEA and Increased Homocysteine in Schizophrenia and Other
Mental Disorders and Declines

http://www.anthropogeny.com/Homocysteine.htm
.

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