Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2004 Nov 9;63(9):1705-7.
doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000142969.19465.8f.

Impact of antioxidants, zinc, and copper on cognition in the elderly: a randomized, controlled trial

Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Impact of antioxidants, zinc, and copper on cognition in the elderly: a randomized, controlled trial

Kristine Yaffe et al. Neurology. .

Abstract

Participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study were randomly assigned to receive daily antioxidants (vitamin C, 500 mg; vitamin E, 400 IU; beta carotene, 15 mg), zinc and copper (zinc, 80 mg; cupric oxide, 2 mg), antioxidants plus zinc and copper, or placebo. A cognitive battery was administered to 2,166 elderly persons after a median of 6.9 years of treatment. Treatment groups did not differ on any of the six cognitive tests (p > 0.05 for all). These results do not support a beneficial or harmful effect of antioxidants or zinc and copper on cognition in older adults.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure
Figure
The likelihood (odds ratio and 95% CI) of developing cognitive impairment (Modified Mini-Mental State Examination score, <80) in the 2,166 Age-Related Eye Disease Study participants. Reference group is placebo (no active treatment).

References

    1. Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias JL, et al. Dietary intake of antioxidant nutrients and the risk of incident Alzheimer disease in a biracial community study. JAMA. 2002;287:3230–3237. - PubMed
    1. Masaki KH, Losonczy KG, Izmirlian G, et al. Association of vitamin E and C supplement use with cognitive function and dementia in elderly men. Neurology. 2000;54:1265–1272. - PubMed
    1. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS Report No. 8. Arch Ophthalmol. 2001;119:1417–1436. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Engelhart MJ, Geerlings MI, Ruitenberg A, et al. Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of Alzheimer disease. JAMA. 2002;287:3223–3229. - PubMed
    1. Zandi PP, Anthony JC, Khachaturian AS, et al. Reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in users of antioxidant vitamin supplements: the Cache County Study. Arch Neurol. 2004;61:82–88. - PubMed

Publication types