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Low Vitamin B
May Impair Memory in Some Seniors
(NY, Reuters Health, 4/14/04)
Dr. David Bunce, of the University of London, and
associates, report that carriers of a variant of the APOE4
gene are more susceptible to the effects of B12 deficiency on
cognitive functioning in old age. The researchers conducted a
study at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, where they
assessed the APOE4 status and cognitive abilities of 167
adults over age 75. Among the APOE4-positive subjects, 28 had
low B12 levels and 21 did not. In the non-APOE4 group, 54 out
of 118 subjects had low B12 levels. APOE4 carriers who had low
B12 scored significantly lower than their peers on recall
tests.
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