Alzheimer's vitamin test; In association with the NHS.ALZHEIMER'S patients are wasting their money taking high-dose vitamin B vitamin B n. 1. Vitamin B complex. 2. A member of the vitamin B complex, especially thiamine. vitamin B, vitamin B complex a group of water-soluble substances described separately. supplements, a study suggests. Previous research indicated B vitamins might slow progress of the disease by reducing levels of homocysteine Homocysteine Definition Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in blood plasma. High levels of homocysteine in the blood are believed to increase the chance of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and osteoporosis. , an amino acid produced in the body. Researchers led by Dr Paul Aisen from the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). at San Diego studied the effect of high doses of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 on 409 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. A total of 340 participants took the supplements while the rest were given inactive placebos. Mental ability was later tested using a standard measure called the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog). The results showed that even though B vitamins reduced homocysteine levels, ADAS-cog scores did not differ significantly between treatment groups. Symptoms of depression were more common in the high-dose supplement group. The authors wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association is an international peer-reviewed general medical journal, published 48 times per year by the American Medical Association. JAMA is the most widely circulated medical journal in the world. : "Many studies suggest that relative elevation of homocysteine is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and laboratory research implicates homocysteine in neurodegenerative mechanisms. "High-dose B vitamin supplementation in individuals with normal levels of B vitamins was effective in reducing homocysteine levels. "However, our study does not support the treatment of individuals with mild to moderate AD and normal vitamin levels with B vitamin supplements." |
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