A new study reveals that middle-aged women with high levels of homocysteine are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimers disease later on in life.
While homocysteine is needed for the metabolism, too much of it can lead to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
Previous studies have looked at the link between homocysteine levels and dementia but have only had a follow-up of eight years. The newest study has a 35-year follow-up that may offer more definitive answers.
“Alzheimers disease was more than twice as common among the women with the highest levels of homocysteine than among those with the lowest, and the risk for any kind of dementia was 70 percent higher,” said study author Dr. Dimitri Zylberstein.
Originally, it was believed that homocysteine levels were affected by vitamin deficiency, leading some to turn to in order to get their levels on track. It has since been discovered that even individuals with normal vitamin levels may still have high amounts of homocysteine, negating the previous theory.