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HOMOCYSTEINE CONFERENCE: Homocysteine A Possible Risk Factor For Alzheimer's NIJMEGEN, THE NETHERLANDS -- April 29, 1998 -- Scientists at the Universities of Oxford and Bergen, Norway, have found an association between pathologically-confirmed Alzheimer's disease and moderately-elevated blood levels of the amino acid, homocysteine. A moderate elevation in blood levels of homocysteine is a known risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Researchers found that 76 patients in the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing (OPTIMA) who had pathologically-confirmed Alzheimer's disease had elevated blood levels of homocysteine and lower blood levels of folate and vitamin B12 (the vitamins which control homocysteine levels) than 108 age-matched control subjects. These latest findings, which have yet to be published, were reported April 27, 1998 in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, at the second International Conference on Homocysteine Metabolism. However, the authors of the report, stressed that these biochemical changes in the blood could be a consequence, rather than a cause, of Alzheimer's disease, and that further work is required to distinguish between these two interpretations. In particular, clinical trials over a number of years will be needed to determine if lowering homocysteine levels, by means of dietary supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12, influences the development of Alzheimer's disease. Individuals should not take extra folic acid without consulting their doctor. "These findings are important because they provide a testable hypothesis that it may be possible to prevent or delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease in a proportion of potential sufferers," said David Smith, chairman of the department of pharmacology at Oxford and head of OPTIMA, said. "However, testing this hypothesis will require long and costly trials." A full paper describing the results of this study is being considered for publication in a medical journal and no further details of the research will be issued until the date of publication. E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version