Multivitamins, however not cocoa, tied to slowed mind getting old
From DigLogs
Taking a day by day multivitamin for 3 years is related to a 60% slowing of cognitive growing old, with the consequences particularly pronounced in sufferers with cardiovascular (CVD) illness, new analysis suggests.
In addition to testing the impact of a day by day multivitamin on cognition the COSMOS-Mind research additionally examined the impact of cocoa flavonols, however confirmed no useful impact.
The findings “may have important public health implications, particularly for brain health, given the accessibility of multivitamins and minerals, and their low cost and safety”, stated research investigator Laura D. Baker, PhD, professor, Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The findings have been introduced on the 14th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) convention.
PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY
The research is a substudy of a big guardian trial that in contrast the consequences of cocoa extract (500 mg/day cocoa flavanols) and a normal multivitamin-mineral (MVM) to placebo on cardiovascular and most cancers outcomes in additional than 21,000 older individuals.
COSMOS-Mind included 2262 adults aged 65 and over with out dementia who underwent cognitive testing at baseline and yearly for 3 years. The imply age at baseline was 73 years, and 40.4% have been males. Most individuals (88.7%) have been non-Hispanic white and virtually half (49.2%) had some post-college schooling.
All research teams have been balanced with respect to demographics, CVD historical past, diabetes, despair, smoking standing, alcohol consumption, chocolate consumption and prior multivitamin use. Baseline cognitive scores have been additionally related between research teams. Researchers had full information on 77% of research individuals.
The main endpoint was the impact of cocoa extract (CE) vs placebo on Global Cognitive Function composite rating. The secondary consequence was the impact of MVM vs placebo on international cognitive operate.
Additional outcomes included the impression of dietary supplements on government operate and reminiscence and the therapy results for prespecified subgroups, together with topics with a historical past of CVD.
Using a graph of change over time, Baker confirmed there was no impact of cocoa on international cognitive operate (impact: 0.03; 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.08; P = .28). “We see the to-be-expected practice effects, but there’s no separation between the active and placebo groups,” she stated.
It was a distinct story for MVM. Here, there was the identical apply impact, however the graph confirmed the strains separated for international cognitive operate composite rating (impact: 0.07; 95% CI, 0.02 – 0.12; P = .007).
“We see a positive effect of multivitamins for the active group relative to placebo, peaking at 2 years and then remaining stable over time,” stated Baker.
There have been related findings with MVM for the reminiscence composite rating, and the manager operate composite rating. “We have significance in all three, where the two lines do separate over and above the practice effects,” stated Baker.
NEW EVIDENCE
Investigators discovered a baseline historical past of CVD, together with transient ischemic assault, congestive coronary heart failure, coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and stent, however not myocardial infarction or stroke as these have been excluded within the guardian trial as a result of they affected the response to multivitamins.
As anticipated, these with CVD had decrease cognitive scores at baseline. “But after an initial bump due to practice effect, at year 1, the cardiovascular disease history folks continue to benefit from multivitamins, whereas those who got placebo multivitamins continue to decline over time,” stated Baker.
Based on info from a baseline scatter plot of cognitive operate scores by age, the research’s modeling estimated the multivitamin therapy impact had a constructive good thing about .028 normal deviations (SD) per 12 months.
“Daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation appears to slow cognitive aging by 60% or by 1.8 years,” Baker added.
To date, the impact of MVM supplementation on cognition has been examined in just one massive randomized medical trial — the Physicians Health Study II. That research didn’t present an impact, however included solely older male physicians — and cognitive testing started 2.5 years after randomization, stated Baker.
“Our study provides new evidence that daily multivitamin supplementation may benefit cognitive function in older women and men, and the multivitamin effects may be more pronounced in participants with cardiovascular disease.”
For results of multivitamins on Alzheimer’s illness prevalence and development, “stay tuned,” Baker concluded.
Following the presentation, session co-chair Suzanne Schindler, MD, PhD, teacher, Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, stated she and her colleagues “always check vitamin B12 levels” in sufferers with reminiscence and cognitive difficulties and questioned if research topics with a low stage or deficiency of vitamin B12 benefited from the intervention.
“We are asking ourselves that as well,” stated Baker.
“Some of this is a work in progress,” Baker added. “We still need to look at that more in-depth to understand whether it might be a mechanism for improvement. I think the results are still out on that topic.”
The research obtained assist from the NIH/NIA. Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (now GSK Consumer Healthcare) offered research tablets and packaging. Baker has disclosed no related monetary relationships.
14th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) convention: Oral Communications (OC) #4. Presented November 10, 2021.
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