A randomized placebo controlled trial of vitamin B12supplementation to prevent cognitive decline in older diabetic people with borderline low serum vitamin B12.
Older diabetic people are at risk of cognitive decline. Vitamin B12deficiency in older people is associated with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin B12deficiency may therefore contribute to cognitive decline in older diabetic people. We therefore performed a randomized placebo-controlled trial of vitamin B12supplementation to prevent cognitive decline in older diabetic people with mild vitamin B12deficiency.



271 diabetic non-demented outpatients aged 70 years or older with plasma vitamin B12150-300 pmol/L in outpatient clinics were randomly assigned to take either methylcobalamin 1000 μg or two similar looking placebo tablets once daily for 27 months. All subjects were followed up at 9 monthly intervals. The primary outcome is cognitive decline as defined by an increase in clinical dementia rating scale (CDR) global score. The secondary outcomes included Neuropsychological Test Battery (NTB) z-scores, serum methymalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine.



The subjects in the trial groups were well matched in clinical characteristics, except that active intervention group had more smokers. 46.5% and 74.1% had elevated serum methymalonic acid (≥0.21 μmol/L) and homocysteine (≥13 μmol/L) respectively. 44% of the subjects had CDR score of 0.5 suggesting questionable dementia. At month 9 and 27, serum MMA and homocysteine was significantly reduced in the active treatment group, when compared with placebo group. (P < 0.0001, student t test) At month 27, there was no significant group difference in changes in CDR or NTB z-scores. Exclusion of smokers did not alter the results. Subgroup analysis of high MMSE and serum MMA showed similar results.



Vitamin B12supplementation did not prevent cognitive decline in older diabetic patients with borderline vitamin B12status.



ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02457507.
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. Electronic address: tkwok@cuhk.edu.hk.
Timothy
T
Kwok
Department of Medicine, Alice Ho Mui Ming Nethersole Hospital, Taipo, Hong Kong. Electronic address: jennylee@cuhk.edu.hk.
Jenny
J
Lee
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. Electronic address: rcwma@cuhk.edu.hk.
Ronald C
RC
Ma
Department of Family Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. Electronic address: yeungshanwong@cuhk.edu.hk.
Samuel Y
SY
Wong
Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: kkung@hku.hk.
Kenny
K
Kung
Department of Family Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. Electronic address: lamt@ha.org.hk.
Augustine
A
Lam
Department of Chemical Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. Electronic address: chungshunho@cuhk.edu.hk.
C S
CS
Ho
Department of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: vivianlee@pharmacy.cuhk.edu.hk.
Vivian
V
Lee
Alzheimer Center, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: john@metiscog.com.
John
J
Harrison
Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Taipo Hospital, Taipo, Hong Kong. Electronic address: cwlam@cuhk.edu.hk.
Linda
L
Lam
D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*
D014280:Triglycerides; D006710:Homocysteine; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine; D014805:Vitamin B 12
Cognitive disorder; Diabetes mellitus; Elderly; Randomized trial; Vitamin B(12)