Alzheimer's disease linked to homocysteine.Research has uncovered very few, if any, strong relationships to explain who might develop Alzheimer's disease and who might be spared the physically debilitating de·bil·i·tat·ing adj. Causing a loss of strength or energy. Debilitating Weakening, or reducing the strength of. Mentioned in: Stress Reduction , memory-stealing misery. Several softer associations linking smoking to increased risk, and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and exercise to reduced risk have been suggested. The only known risk factors up to now--age and genetics--don't provide individuals any means to improve their odds. That may change. In a new study, researchers followed 1,092 people and found that those who had the highest 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. had double the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to those with the lowest levels. Even low levels of homocysteine appeared to increase risk. Homocysteine is a natural byproduct of protein synthesis and is associated with coronary artery disease coronary artery disease, condition that results when the coronary arteries are narrowed or occluded, most commonly by atherosclerotic deposits of fibrous and fatty tissue. , vascular disease, and venous thrombosis. Previous research studies have linked high homocysteine levels to poor memory and to Alzheimer's disease, but this study is the first to link increasing risk with increasing blood levels of homocysteine over a broad range of concentrations. B-vitamins are the antidote for high homcysteine levels in the blood. Folic acid (the form found in food), folate folate /fo·late/ (fo´lat) 1. the anionic form of folic acid. 2. more generally, any of a group of substances containing a form of pteroic acid conjugated with l-glutamic acid and having a variety of substitutions. (the form found in vitamin supplements and fortified cereals and grains), and other B vitamins act like detergents on an oil slick, breaking down homocysteine and lowering blood concentrations. Although research has yet to prove it, reducing blood homocysteine levels by taking folic acid supplements (folate) may also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. To hedge your own bets in the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile , include a daily multivitamin mul·ti·vi·ta·min adj. Containing many vitamins. n. A preparation containing many vitamins. multivitamin that contains 400 micrograms of folate. For more information on Alzheimer's disease, visit the Web site of the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org, and for more information on the content of B vitamins in foods, visit the Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. It is a prestigious American medical school located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. Web site at http://health.harvard.edu/health/ and click on "December 2001, B vitamins." (New England J. of Medicine, 2002, Vol. 346, No. 7, pp. 476-483; Amer. J. of Clin. Nutrition, 2001, Vol. 73, No. 5, pp. 927933; J. of the Amer. College of Nutrition, 2001, Vol. 20, pp. 24 7-254) |
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