Re: High Homocysteine Tied to Lower Mental Ability

"Frankie" <birm47@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in part:

>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."

Well, gosh.

But also see:

Clin Chem Lab Med. 2005;43(10):1101-6.

Homocysteine, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cognitive performance: The
Maine-Syracuse Study.

Robbins MA, Elias MF, Budge MM, Brennan SL, Elias PK.

1. Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and higher total plasma homocysteine concentrations
are each associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease
and with diminished cognitive performance. Relations between homocysteine
concentrations and cardiovascular disease incidence are stronger in the
presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, we hypothesized that
relations between homocysteine concentrations and cognitive performance
would be stronger in the presence of type 2 diabetes. We related
homocysteine concentrations and cognitive performance on the Mini-Mental
State Examination in 817 dementia- and stroke-free participants of the
Maine-Syracuse Study, 90 of whom were classified with type 2 diabetes
mellitus. Regardless of statistical adjustment for age, sex, gender, vitamin
co-factors (folate, vitamin B(6), vitamin B(12)), cardiovascular disease
risk factors, and duration and type of treatment for type 2 diabetes
mellitus, statistically significant inverse associations between
homocysteine concentrations and cognitive performance were observed for
diabetic individuals. The weaker inverse associations between homocysteine
concentrations and cognitive performance obtained for non-diabetic
individuals were not robust to statistical adjustment for some covariates.
Interactions between homocysteine concentrations and type 2 diabetes
mellitus are observed such that associations between homocysteine and
cognitive performance are stronger in the presence of diabetes.
--
Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA
.