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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #191814
Title: HOMOCYSTEINE & COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN THE FRAMINGHAM OFFSPRING STUDY: AGE IS IMPORTANT

Author
item ELIAS, MERRILL - BOSTON UNIVERSITY
item SULLIVAN, LISA - BOSTON UNIVERSITY
item D'AGOSTINO, RALPH - BOSTON UNIVERSITY
item ELIAS, PENELOPE - BOSTON UNIVERSITY
item Jacques, Paul
item Selhub, Jacob
item SESHADRI, SUDHA - BU SCH OF MEDICINE
item AU, RHODA - BU SCH OF MEDICINE
item BEISER, ALEXA - BU SCH OF MEDICINE
item WOLF, PHILIP - BU SCH OF MEDICINE

Submitted to: American Journal of Epidemiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2005
Publication Date: 10/1/2005
Citation: Elias, M.F., Sullivan, L.M., D'Agostino, R.B., Elias, P.K., Jacques, P.F., Selhub, J., Seshadri, S., Au, R., Beiser, A., Wolf, P.A. 2005. Homocysteine & Cognitive Performance in the Framingham Offspring Study: Age is Important. American Journal of Epidemiology. 162(7):644-653.

Interpretive Summary: There is mounting evidence that high plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is associated with cognitive decline, and dementia. Although previous work indicates that the magnitude of association between tHcy and cognitive performance increases with advancing age, it is not yet clear when in the adult life span tHcy becomes a risk factor for lowered cognitive performance. To examine further the role played by age in modifying relations between tHcy and cognitive performance, we used a prospective design to examine age-by-tHcy interactions in a community sample of 2,096 dementia- and stroke-free participants of the Framingham Offspring Study aged 40–82 years for whom data on multiple cognitive abilities were available. We addressed two major hypotheses: 1) Associations between tHcy and cognitive performance will not be seen in young and middle-aged adults but will be seen in older individuals; 2) associations between tHcy and cognitive performance at older ages will be diminished in magnitude when adjusted for the vitamin cofactors and when adjusted for risk factors for vascular disease. After findings of statistically significant tHcy-by-age interactions for multiple cognitive measures, participants were stratified into three age groups (40–49 years, 50–59 years, 60–82 years). Regardless of statistical adjustment for age, sex, gender, the vitamin cofactors, and cardiovascular risk factors, statistically significant inverse associations between tHcy and multiple cognitive domains were observed for individuals aged 60 or more years; no such associations were observed for participants aged less than 60 years. Early preventive interventions may be important, because the inverse association between tHcy and cognitive performance is observed beyond middle age.

Technical Abstract: Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations are associated with deficits in cognitive performance in persons free from dementia. The extent to which age modifies these associations is in need of further investigation in large, community-based, prospective studies combining the following elements: 1) multiple cognitive tests; 2) statistical adjustment for the role of the vitamin cofactors folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12; and 3) adjustment for the presence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Using data collected between 1991 and 2002, the authors investigated the associations between tHcy and multiple measures of cognitive performance in 2,096 dementia- and stroke-free participants of the Framingham Offspring Study, who were stratified into three age groups (40–49 years, 50–59 years, 60–82 years), after findings of statistically significant tHcy-by-age interactions for multiple cognitive measures. Regardless of statistical adjustment for age, sex, gender, the vitamin cofactors, and cardiovascular risk factors, statistically significant inverse associations between tHcy and multiple cognitive domains were observed for individuals aged 60 or more years; no such associations were observed for participants aged less than 60 years. Early preventive interventions may be important, because the inverse association between tHcy and cognitive performance is observed beyond middle age.