Study: Daily multivitamin may slow cognitive aging for older adults

By: 
Press Staff Writer

        In September, “Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association” published results of a study entitled “Effects of cocoa extract and a multivitamin on cognitive function: a randomized clinical trial.”
        The three-year study of more than 2,200 older adults found that daily multivitamin-mineral supplementation resulted in a statistically significant cognitive benefit. Cocoa extract had no effect on global cognition.
        “This is the first positive, large-scale, long-term study to show that multivitamin-mineral supplementation for older adults may slow cognitive aging,” said Dr. Maria Carrillo, chief science officer for the Alzheimer’s Association. “While the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraged by these results, we are not ready to recommend widespread use of a multivitamin supplement to reduce risk of cognitive decline in older adults.”
        “Independent confirmatory studies are needed in larger, more diverse study populations,” she said. “It is critical that future treatments and preventions are effective in all populations.
        “For now, and until there is more data, people should talk with their health care providers about the benefits and risks of all dietary supplements, including multivitamins,” Carillo said. “We envision a future where there are multiple treatments and risk reduction strategies available that address cognitive aging and dementia in multiple ways — like heart disease and cancer — and that can be combined into powerful combination therapies…in conjunction with brain-healthy guidelines for lifestyle factors like diet and physical activity.”
        For people living with Alzheimer’s, every discovery offers new hope, Carillo added.
        The Alzheimer’s Association works to identify and fund a wide range of the most promising projects, from basic discovery science to new treatment trials, to studies addressing social and behavioral aspects of Alzheimer's and other dementia. These projects have enabled significant advances across the research spectrum in such areas as diagnosis, genetics, treatments, prevention, early detection and enhancing the quality of life.
        With confirmation, these promising findings have the potential to significantly impact public health — improving brain health, lowering health care costs and reducing caregiver burden — especially among older adults. Individuals should always talk with their health care provider(s) about the benefits and risks of all dietary supplements, including multivitamins before incorporating them into their daily diet.
        The Alzheimer’s Association is leading the U.S. POINTER study, a two-year clinical trial to evaluate whether lifestyle interventions that target multiple risk factors can protect cognition in older adults at increased risk for cognitive decline. U.S. POINTER is being conducted now at five sites across the U.S. For more information, visit https://alz.org/us-pointer/overview.asp
        The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900 for more information.
 
 
 

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