CHICAGO: Oxford researchers have defended their study, which found no link between vitamin B and preventing Alzheimer’s, against accusations of being “inaccurate and misleading”.
The meta-analysis study collected data from 11 large trials using a total of 22,000 participants. It aimed to determine whether using B vitamins to lower plasma homocysteine – a risk factor for Alzheimer’s – could prevent the disease.
The researchers concluded that although allocation of vitamin B lowered homocysteine levels by 26–28%, there was no significant effect on individual cognitive domains, global cognitive function or cognitive aging.
Dr Robert Clarke of Oxford University, who led the work, stated at the time: “Our study draws a line under the debate: B vitamins don’t reduce cognitive decline as we age. Taking folic acid and vitamin B-12 is sadly not going to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.”
However, Dr Peter Garrard of the Cardiovascular and Cell Sciences Research Institute at St George’s University of London has now said that this statement was “inaccurate and misleading” and that it could have a negative impact on public health policy-making and research…