Reduced concentrations of several vitamins in normal weight patients with late-onset dementia of the Alzheimer type without vascular disease.

BACKGROUND

There is an uncertainty to what an extent initiation of late onset dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) is related to nutritional factors.

OBJECTIVE

To find any differences in nutrient concentrations between women (75-85 y), well-nourished with moderate DAT, and a control group, all without vascular disease.

DESIGN

A case control study assessing clinical, anthropometrical, biochemical and micronutrient characteristics of 20 DAT patients and 18 free-living healthy women.

RESULTS

Significant differences (* = p < 0.05) were found for the following nutrients, given in sequence (Mean (SD)) for controls and DAT patients, respectively: Thiamine (nmol/L): 11.7 (6.9), 7.1(3.7)*; Blood thiamine diphosphate (nmol/L): 86.0 (12.5), 65.8 (27.5)*; Pyridoxal-5-phosphate 90.2 (14), 24.8 (3.3)*; Cobalamin (nmol/L) 435(263), 350 (264)*; Homocysteine (mmol/L) 14.7 (1.3), 18.5 (1.6)*; Ascorbic acid (mmol/L) 77.7 (28), 46.2 (25)*; alpha-tocopherol (mmol/L) 38.2 (9.2), 27.1 (11.5)*; Serum and blood thiamine mono-phosphate and ascorbic acid in cerebrospinal fluid were significantly different as well. Age, BMI, MMSE, MADRS, 'Vascular Score ' and a set of other biochemical parameters were similar between the groups. Using logistic regression analysis, models for predicting the presence of DAT all contained pyridoxal-5-phosphate, and CSF-protein, in combination with either one of variables, age, ascorbic acid, retinol, alpha-tocopherol, homocysteine, thiamin-diphosphate, CSF-thiamin. All the models give complete separation between DAT and controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of reduced concentrations of several vitamins in the DAT patients compared to the controls might indicate that these nutrients may contribute to the development of DAT.