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| Vitamin B could delay onset of Alzheimer's Some participants in Oxford University trial see their neurological decline reduce by as much as 50% after using vitamin B tabletsTaking daily supplements of B vitamins may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, scientists have claimed.The discovery that people in the early stages of failing memory can retain more of their mental faculties for longer if they take the tablets regularly could lead to treatments for the condition. Some participants in the Oxford University trial saw their neurological decline reduced by as much as half after using B vitamins.That breakthrough has raised hopes that the vitamins, which are sold in chemists and health food stores, could at least slow down, if not prevent, the shrinkage that affects many older people's brains.Vitamin B tablets are popular among vegans, because they shun some of the foods in which vitamin B is found fish, meat and milk and among sufferers of pernicious anaemia."It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay the development of Alzheimer's in many people who suffer from mild memory problems," said David Smith, a professor emeritus in Oxford University's pharmacology department and co-leader of the study. About 1.5m people over 70 in the UK who suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who have a 50/50 chance of going on to develop full-blown dementia within five years could benefit from the discovery, Smith added. But while the results were "immensely promising", it was not yet certain, he stressed, if B vitamins could slow or prevent the development of Alzheimer's. [See footnote]Healthy middle-aged people hoping to avoid dementia and older people exhibiting early signs of memory loss might now be tempted to start routinely taking the vitamins, he said. But they should not do without first talking to their doctor, as the tablets could help stimulate the growth of early-stage cancer, he warned.Chris Kennard, chair of the neurosciences and mental health board at the Medical Research Council, said the findings "bring us a step closer to unravelling the complex neurobiology of ageing and cognitive decline and hold the key to the development of future treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's disease."Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "These are very important results, with B vitamins now showing a prospect of protecting some people from Alzheimer's in old age. The strong findings must inspire an expanded trial to follow people expected to develop Alzheimer's, and we must hope for further success."Some 820,000 people in the UK have dementia, predominantly Alzheimer's, and their numbers are expected to soar as the population ages.Smith and his colleagues at the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing gave one group of people with MCI daily tablets comprising folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, and another group a placebo. The vitamins were chosen because they control the amounts of an amino acid called homocysteine in the blood. High levels of homocysteine have been linked to a greater risk of Alzheimer's.After two years participants' brains were examined using MRI scanners and their mental faculties assessed using tests of cognition. They found that those who had been receiving the supplements had experienced on average 30% less brain atrophy than those receiving the dummy pills. The former saw their brains shrink by 0.76% a year, while the placebo group saw theirs reduce by 1.08%. Those who started the trial with the highest levels of homocysteine experienced the greatest benefit 50% less brain shrinkage. This footnote was added on 9 September 2010. The study findings were published in an open-access journal, Public Library of Science ONE. A reference in the story text to vegans has been amended to make clear that fish, meat and milk are not the only foods containing significant amounts of vitamin B. Alzheimer'sAgeingNeuroscienceNutritionResearchBiologyMedical researchHealthDenis Campbellguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Observatory: Spreading Their Wings to Longest on Record An intact skeleton of a bird, which lived 5 million to 10 million years ago, has a wingspan of at least 17 feet, the widest ever found, researchers report. feeds.nytimes.com |
Cairngorms park boundary extended The southern boundary of the Cairngorms National Park is extended by a fifth to include parts of Perthshire. bbc.co.uk |
Rebuilding HMS Beagle, and the Hubble space telescope's 20th birthday Nell Boase is Lady Science this week ...All the way from Maine, Dr Karen James joins us in the studio to tell us about The Beagle Project, which aims to recreate the ship in which Charles Darwin sailed on his world-changing voyage of discovery. Karen is also a huge space fan and will watch the penultimate shuttle launch as part of Nasa's tweetup. She also tells us about getting a call on her mobile phone from the space station. Best ever revellation on the podcast: Karen tells us the dialling code for space. Guardian science correspondent Ian Sample is in the studio to ask Karen about her thoughts on the future of Nasa. As the Hubble space telescope reaches the age of 20, we take a closer look at what it has achieved. Giles Sparrow runs us through some of its greatest hits in his book Hubble: Window on the Universe. We have prepared a beautiful audio slideshow to go with this interview. Despite Arabic science helping shape the scientific method, theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili discusses what's holding it back today. His new book is called Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science. Prof Al-Khalili is also chairing a special lecture at London's Royal Albert Hall this week with Stephen Hawking. Subscribe for free via iTunes to ensure every episode gets delivered. (Here is the non-iTunes URL feed).Meet our crack team of science bloggers:The Lay Scientist by Martin RobbinsLife and Physics by Jon ButterworthPunctuated Equilibrium by GrrlScientistPolitical Science by Evan Harris Follow the podcast on our Science Weekly Twitter feed and receive updates on all breaking science news stories from Guardian Science. Email scienceweeklypodcast@gmail.com. Guardian Science is now on Facebook. You can also join our Science Weekly Facebook group. Listen back through our archive.Nell BoaseAndy DuckworthIan SampleAlok JhaJim Al-KhaliliKaren James guardian.co.uk |
Bumbles make beeline for gardens Gardens are able to sustain a greater number of bumblebee nests than farmed land, a study involving genetic analysis and modelling suggests. bbc.co.uk |