Folic acid supplementation with or without vitamin B12 to prevent cognitive decline in elderly subjects: critical analysis of literature

Abstract

Dementia is a syndrome that interferes with cortical features of the person, possibly caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. It is believed that supplementation of folic acid with or without vitamin B12can prevent or decrease cognitive decline in healthy elderly subjects with high levels of homocysteine in plasma. The objective of this work was to assess the validity and applicability of the results regarding the effectiveness of folic acid supplementation with or without vitamin B12 in elderly subjects with elevated levels of homocysteine and to answer the following question: Can folic acid supplementation, with or without vitamin B12, prevent or slow the deterioration of cognitive functions in healthy elderly subjects with high levels of homocysteine? Analysis of “Folic acid with or without vitamin B12 for the prevention and treatment of healthy elderly with dementia”, a Cochrane systematic review by Malouf et al. (2008), was made. Administration for three years folic acid with or without vitamin B12 in healthy elderly subjects with high levels of homocysteine in plasma, could significantly improve global cognitive function; presenting a weighted mean difference of 0.05 (95% CI; 0.004 to 0.096). Despite methodological limitations and the small number of primary studies included in the systematic review analyzed, we find reasonable the use of folic acid with or without vitamin B12 to improve cognitive function in healthy older people with high homocysteine levels.