Troen Aron, Rosenberg Irwin
Nutrition and Neurocognition Laboratory and Vitamin Metabolism and Aging Laboratory, The Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Semin Vasc Med. 2005 May;5(2):209-14. doi: 10.1055/s-2005-872406.
The prevention and treatment of age-related cognitive impairment and dementia is one of the greatest and most elusive challenges of our time. The prevalence of dementia increases exponentially with age, as does the prevalence of those with micronutrient deficiency. Several studies have shown that elevated homocysteine is correlated with cognitive decline and with cerebral atrophy and that it predicts the subsequent development of dementia in cognitively intact middle-aged and elderly individuals. If elevated homocysteine promotes cognitive dysfunction, then lowering homocysteine by means of B-vitamin supplementation may protect cognitive function by arresting or slowing the disease process.
与年龄相关的认知障碍和痴呆症的防治是我们这个时代最大且最难以解决的挑战之一。痴呆症的患病率随年龄呈指数增长，微量营养素缺乏者的患病率亦是如此。多项研究表明，同型半胱氨酸水平升高与认知能力下降及脑萎缩相关，且能预测认知功能正常的中老年人随后患痴呆症的情况。如果同型半胱氨酸水平升高会促进认知功能障碍，那么通过补充B族维生素来降低同型半胱氨酸水平可能会通过阻止或减缓疾病进程来保护认知功能。
