Is B vitamins deficiency associated with prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in Cuban elderly?
Alzheimer's disease (AD), is a major public health problem among the elderly in industrialized countries and a growing problem in developing countries. In Cuba, 14,6% of the population is older than 60 years. The AD prevalence in Cuba lies between 5,13-7,14%. Several studies have shown the relationship between the low nutritional status of B vitamins, hyperhomocysteinaemia with loss of neuro-cognitive function and AD. In studies during the epidemic neuropathy that affected Cuba between 1992-1993, B vitamins deficiency and smoking habits were strongly associated with the epidemic. Some studies in healthy adults and elderly after this epidemic have shown a sub-clinical deficiency of some B vitamins and a high prevalence of infection by Helicobacter pylori. The possibility that B vitamin deficiencies could be an additional risk factor for the high prevalence of the AD in Cuba is discussed.
Domínguez
Yeneisy Lanyau
YL
Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology Havana, Cuba. ylanyau@yahoo.com
Hernández
Manuel
M
Matos
Consuelo Macías
CM
Zhou
Dequan
D
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014804:Vitamin B Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology