Medical Food Therapy for Hyperhomocystinemia and Alzheimer’s Disease
Shankle et al report a longitudinal (non- randomized) trial of a combination of L-methylfolate,
methylcobalamin, and N-acetyl-cysteine in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment with hyperhomocysteinemia (a subsample compared with those who did not receive the medical food therapy). Serial MRI provided a longitudinal assessment of the rate of regional atrophy. The study suggests the therapy was associated with slowing of atrophy in both groups but with regional difference. The authors, appropriately, express replication studies are needed.
Abstract
We examined whether using a medical food therapy for hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or cognitive impairment due to cerebrovascular disease (CVD) with Cerefolin®/CerefolinNAC® (CFLN: Lmethylfolate, methylcobalamin, and N-acetyl-cysteine) slowed regional brain atrophy. Thirty HHcy patients with AD and related disorders (ADRD) received CFLN (HHcy+CFLN: duration [ ± σ] = 18.6±16.1 months); a sub-sample of this group did not receive CFLN for varying periods of time (HHcy+NoCFLN: duration [ ± σ] = 12.6±5.6 months). Thirtyseven
NoHHcy patients with ADRD did not receive CFLN (NoHHcy+NoCFLN: duration [ ± σ] = 13.3±17.7 months). No participant took supplemental B vitamins. Regional brain volumes were measured at baseline and end of study, and covariate-adjusted rates of hippocampal, cortical, and forebrain parenchymal (includes white matter) atrophy were predicted. The HHcy+CFLN group’s hippocampal and cortical atrophy adjusted rates were 4.25 and 11.2 times slower than those of the NoHHcy+NoCFLN group (p < 0.024). The HHcy+CFLN group’s forebrain parenchyma atrophy rate was significantly slower only for CVD; the rate of slowing was proportional to the degree of homocysteine lowering (p < 0.0001). CFLN was associated with significantly slowed hippocampal and cortical atrophy rates in ADRD patients with HHcy, and forebrain parenchymal atrophy rates in CVD patients with HHcy. The present results should be further validated.
