Abstract
Background Study findings have suggested an association between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk and several vitamins and have speculated about their use as preventive agents. Here, we examine whether total intake (intake from diet plus supplements) of antioxidant vitamins (E, C, carotenoids) and B vitamins (folate, B 6, and B 12) is associated with a reduced risk of AD. Methods Participants were 579 nondemented elderly volunteers from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging who completed dietary diaries and recorded supplement intake for a 7-day period. Cox regression was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of AD associated with total vitamin intake categorized into levels above or below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Results After a mean follow-up of 9.3 years, AD developed in 57 participants. Higher intake of folate (RR, 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22 to 0.76), vitamin E (RR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.30 to 1.06), and vitamin B 6 (RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.84) were associated individually with a decreased risk of AD after adjusting for age, gender, education, and caloric intake. When these 3 vitamins were analyzed together, only total intake of folate at or above the RDA (RR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.97) was associated with a significant decreased risk of AD. No association was found between total intake of vitamins C, carotenoids, or vitamin B 12 and risk of AD. Conclusions These findings suggest that total intake of folate at or above the RDA is associated with a reduced risk of AD. Additional studies are necessary to further investigate whether folate or other(s) unmeasured factor(s) may be responsible for this reduction in risk.
Highlights
More than 4 million people in the United States suffer from dementia, most with Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
The risk of AD for participants at or above the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was reduced nearly 60% compared with participants below the RDA
A reduced risk was seen among people with a total intake at or above the RDA of vitamin E or vitamin B6, this effect disappeared when folate, vitamin E, and vitamin B6 were analyzed simultaneously
Summary
More than 4 million people in the United States suffer from dementia, most with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Data from a handful of cohort studies suggest that the risk of AD may be reduced in people with a high dietary or supplemental intake of antioxidants [2,3,4,5,6]. We analyzed data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) to examine whether total intake (intake from diet as well as supplements) of antioxidant vitamins (E, C, carotenoids) and B vitamins (folate, B6, and B12) is associated with a reduced risk of AD. Study findings have suggested an association between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk and several vitamins and have speculated about their use as preventive agents. We examine whether total intake (intake from diet plus supplements) of antioxidant vitamins (E, C, carotenoids) and B vitamins (folate, B6, and B12) is associated with a reduced risk of AD. Additional studies are necessary to further investigate whether folate or other(s) unmeasured factor(s) may be responsible for this reduction in risk
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