A vitamin B pill that drastically lowers blood levels of the toxic amino-acid homocysteine could one day be used to prevent dementia, and save health services billions of $'s annually.
Clinical trials, starting in January 2005, will seek to confirm that adding the B vitamins to a powerful antioxidant results in “prompt, striking and sustained clinical improvement” in patients.
The move follows a licensing agreement this week between COBALZ Limited a U.K. company specialising in homocysteine research, and Pamlab L.L.C, a U.S. company providing high-quality pharmaceuticals for general practices, neurology, cardiology and internal medicine.
It will enable a team led by Dr. Ramon Diaz-Arrastia of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, to determine whether the antioxidant together with high-dose B vitamins is superior to standard B-vitamin supplements in slowing the rate of cognitive decline and the accumulation of MRI abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease patients.
High blood levels of homocysteine are a risk factor for stroke and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Raised levels damage nerves and blood vessels, and lead to a loss of brain tissue in patients.
Although homocysteine can be lowered by standard B vitamin supplements it is not yet known whether these can be used to treat or prevent dementia. The few small studies to date are disappointing.