title: Lowering of homocysteine concentrations in elderly men and women.
abstract: B-vitamin supplementation has previously been shown to lower the concentration of plasma total homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Little is known about the homocysteine-lowering effects of low-dose B-vitamins in elderly individuals, who are prone to higher homocysteine levels due to advanced age and a greater frequency of impaired vitamin status. We aimed to identify if and to what extent B-vitamins lower total homocysteine and its subfractions in elderly individuals. Men and women (> or = 60 years) received either B-vitamins (400 micrograms folic acid + 1.65 mg pyridoxine + 3 micrograms cyanocobalamin) or a placebo daily for 4 weeks. Subjects in the vitamin group showed a significant decrease in plasma total homocysteine during the first 2 weeks; thereafter, total homocysteine only slightly decreased further resulting in a geometric mean reduction of -16.3% (95% CI: -11.3% to -21.0%) over the entire treatment period. Free homocysteine decreased as well. However, the observed higher ratio of free/total homocysteine after 4 weeks of supplementation suggest a more pronounced reduction in protein-bound homocysteine. Low-dose B-vitamin supplementation is effective in lowering homocysteine in elderly individuals. Further studies are needed to be able to depict the effect of B-vitamin supplementation on different homocysteine sub-fractions in plasma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, University of Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brönstrup
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hages
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pietrzik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D011736:Pyridoxine; D014805:Vitamin B 12