The trial, which included more than 2,200 people over the age of 65, suggests that daily supplements may slow cognitive decline by about 60%, or nearly two years, with the most significant effects seen in older adults with a history of cardiovascular disease. But while Alzheimer’s and dementia experts are encouraged by the findings, they caution that larger studies are needed to confirm the result before recommending daily multivitamins to help protect the elderly from cognitive decline. Previous trials of nutritional supplements had no effect on the disease. “We provide the first evidence in a long-term, randomized controlled trial of elderly women and men that daily use of a safe, easily accessible, and low-cost mineral multivitamin can improve cognitive function,” the researchers wrote in Alzheimer and Dementia. the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. “This finding could have important public health implications for brain health and resilience against future cognitive decline.” With populations aging around the world, dementia has become one of the leading global health challenges, but there are no drugs that can treat any of the common types. In the UK, around 850,000 people are living with dementia, most of which is Alzheimer’s disease or ‘vascular dementia’. People over 65 and people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression are at greater risk. Researchers at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston investigated whether a daily cocoa extract or multivitamin with minerals improved memory and other mental tasks in 2,262 people age 65 and older. The researchers rated the participants’ “global knowledge” before and during the three-year trial through tests that included word lists, number problems, verbal fluency and story recall. Cacao extract is rich in substances called flavanols, and past research has shown that they may have some benefit for brain function. But the latest trial found that daily cocoa supplements made no difference to people’s cognitive performance. However, daily multivitamin mineral supplements were shown to improve cognitive scores, particularly for those with cardiovascular disease, a known risk factor for dementia. The results suggest “either greater relative improvement or greater protection against cardiovascular disease-related cognitive decline,” the authors wrote. Professor Laura Baker, co-principal investigator on the Cosmos study at Wake Forest University, said it was too early to recommend daily multivitamins to prevent cognitive decline. “While these preliminary findings are promising, additional research is needed in a larger and more diverse group of people. We also still have work to do to better understand why the multivitamin may benefit cognitive function in older adults,” he said. Professor Tara Spires-Jones, team leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, said the study was well conducted, but noted that most of the people involved were white, highly educated people. “It will be important to confirm that the results hold in the wider population,” he said. “It is also unclear from this study whether using multivitamins will prevent diseases that affect cognitive function, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Many dietary supplements have been tested as treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and so far none have been effective.” Dr Maria Carrillo, chief scientific officer at the Alzheimer’s Association, said: “This is the first positive, large-scale, long-term study to show that multivitamin supplements for older adults may slow cognitive ageing. While the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraged by these results, we are not ready to recommend the widespread use of a multivitamin supplement to reduce the risk of cognitive decline in older adults. “Independent confirmatory studies in larger, more diverse study populations are needed,” he added. “It is critical that future treatments and preventions are effective in all populations.”
