OXFORD, England, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- The vitamin B12 may help the elderly prevent the rate of brain volume loss, University of Oxford researchers said.
The study involved 107 community-dwelling volunteers ages 61 to 87 years without cognitive impairment at the beginning of the five-year study. The volunteers were assessed yearly by clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging scans and cognitive tests.
Blood was collected at baseline for measurement of plasma vitamin B12 and a number of other substances.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, the decrease in brain volume was greater among those with lower vitamin B12.
Linear regression analysis showed that associations with vitamin B12 remained significant after adjustment for factors including age, sex, education, initial brain volume, cognitive test scores, systolic blood pressure and folate.
Anna Vogiatzoglou of the University of Oxford said that low vitamin B12 status should be further investigated as a modifiable cause of brain atrophy and of likely subsequent cognitive impairment in the elderly.
Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, milk and fortified cereals.
