title: Effects of vitamins E and C combined with β-carotene on cognitive function in the elderly.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of vitamins E (VE) and C (VC), combined with β-carotene (β-C), on cognitive function in the elderly. A total of 276 elderly subjects completed the prospective study following treatment with VE, VC and different doses of β-C or with VE only. Cognitive function was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS) tests. The plasma levels of amyloid-β (Aβ) and estradiol (E2) were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Results from the MMSE and HDS assessments indicated that the treatment strategy of VE and VC combined with β-C significantly improved cognitive function in the elderly subjects, particularly with higher doses of β-C. Furthermore, RIA suggested that treatment with these vitamins could markedly reduce plasma Aβ levels and elevate plasma E2levels. The present findings suggest that treatment with VE, VC and β-C results in promising improvements in cognitive function in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Jining Medical College, Jining, Shandong 272013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yonghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272011, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shumei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272011, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yigang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Man
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Jining Medical College, Jining, Shandong 272013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Jining Medical College, Jining, Shandong 272013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Y U
authors.initials: YU
authors.lastname: Zhou
keywords: amyloid-β; elderly cognitive function; estradiol; vitamin C; vitamin E; β-carotene