title: Is B vitamins deficiency associated with prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in Cuban elderly?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology Havana, Cuba. ylanyau@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yeneisy Lanyau
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Consuelo Macías
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: Dequan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: 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