Title:Associations between Alzheimer’s Disease and Blood Homocysteine, Vitamin B<sub>12</sub>, and Folate: A Case-Control Study
VOLUME: 12 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Hui Chen, Shuai Liu, Lu Ji, Tianfeng Wu, Fei Ma, Yong Ji, Yuying Zhou, Miaoyan Zheng, Meilin Zhang and Guowei Huang
Affiliation:Department of Nutrition and Food Science, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China.
Keywords:Activities of daily living, Alzheimer’s disease, folate, homocysteine, mini-Mental state examination, vitamin B12.
Abstract:Background: There is a growing focus on nutritional therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and
controversy exists regarding the association between AD and homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12, and folate
levels. Objective: The present study evaluated the association between AD and the combined levels of Hcy,
vitamin B12, and folate. Methods: This case-control study consisted of 115 patients with AD and 115 matched controls.
Serum folate and vitamin B12 were measured using an automated immunoassay analyzer. Plasma Hcy was measured using
high-performance liquid chromatography. The association between AD and Hcy, vitamin B12, and folate was analyzed using
binary logistic regression, adjusted for age and sex. Results: With the combination of normal blood Hcy, vitamin B12,
and folate levels as the reference category, low vitamin B12 in subjects with normal Hcy and folate was associated with
AD (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6–13.2). The combination of low vitamin B12 and folate
in subjects with normal Hcy was associated with AD (adjusted OR, 4.3; 95% CI: 1.3–14.6). The combination of high
Hcy and low folate levels in patients with normal vitamin B12 was associated with AD (adjusted OR, 17.0; 95% CI: 5.4–
53.4). The combination of high Hcy, low vitamin B12, and any folate level was associated with AD (adjusted OR, 30.5;
95% CI: 9.7–95.9). Conclusion: Vitamin B12 was directly associated with AD. The combination of high Hcy, low vitamin
B12, and any folate level represented the poorest association with AD.
