Association of vitamin B12, folate, and sulfur amino acids with brain magnetic resonance imaging measures in older adults: A longitudinal population-based studyShow others and affiliations
2016 (English)In: JAMA psychiatry, ISSN 2168-6238, E-ISSN 2168-622X, Vol. 73, no 6, p. 606-613Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Importance
Vitamin B12, folate, and sulfur amino acids may be modifiable risk factors for structural brain changes that precede clinical dementia.
Objective
To investigate the association of circulating levels of vitamin B12, red blood cell folate, and sulfur amino acids with the rate of total brain volume loss and the change in white matter hyperintensity volume as measured by fluid-attenuated inversion recovery in older adults.
Design, Setting, and Participants
The magnetic resonance imaging subsample of the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, a population-based longitudinal study in Stockholm, Sweden, was conducted in 501 participants aged 60 years or older who were free of dementia at baseline. A total of 299 participants underwent repeated structural brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from September 17, 2001, to December 17, 2009.
Main Outcomes and Measures
The rate of brain tissue volume loss and the progression of total white matter hyperintensity volume.
Results
In the multi-adjusted linear mixed models, among 501 participants (300 women [59.9%]; mean [SD] age, 70.9 [9.1] years), higher baseline vitamin B12 and holotranscobalamin levels were associated with a decreased rate of total brain volume loss during the study period: for each increase of 1 SD, β (SE) was 0.048 (0.013) for vitamin B12 (P < .001) and 0.040 (0.013) for holotranscobalamin (P = .002). Increased total homocysteine levels were associated with faster rates of total brain volume loss in the whole sample (β [SE] per 1-SD increase, –0.035 [0.015]; P = .02) and with the progression of white matter hyperintensity among participants with systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mm Hg (β [SE] per 1-SD increase, 0.000019 [0.00001]; P = .047). No longitudinal associations were found for red blood cell folate and other sulfur amino acids.
Conclusions and Relevance
This study suggests that both vitamin B12 and total homocysteine concentrations may be related to accelerated aging of the brain. Randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the importance of vitamin B12 supplementation on slowing brain aging in older adults.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Medical Association , 2016. Vol. 73, no 6, p. 606-613
National Category
Psychiatry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-29953DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.0274ISI: 000378868100013PubMedID: 27120188Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84973369462Local ID: HHJÅldrandeISOAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-29953DiVA, id: diva2:929487
2016-05-182016-05-182017-11-30Bibliographically approved