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. 2015 Apr;9(4):1489-1493.
doi: 10.3892/etm.2015.2274. Epub 2015 Feb 9.

Effects of vitamins E and C combined with β-carotene on cognitive function in the elderly

Yonghua Li  1 , Shumei Liu  2 , Yigang Man  3 , Ning Li  1 , Y U Zhou  1
Affiliations

Effects of vitamins E and C combined with β-carotene on cognitive function in the elderly

Yonghua Li et al. Exp Ther Med. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of vitamins E (VE) and C (VC), combined with β-carotene (β-C), on cognitive function in the elderly. A total of 276 elderly subjects completed the prospective study following treatment with VE, VC and different doses of β-C or with VE only. Cognitive function was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS) tests. The plasma levels of amyloid-β (Aβ) and estradiol (E2) were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Results from the MMSE and HDS assessments indicated that the treatment strategy of VE and VC combined with β-C significantly improved cognitive function in the elderly subjects, particularly with higher doses of β-C. Furthermore, RIA suggested that treatment with these vitamins could markedly reduce plasma Aβ levels and elevate plasma E2 levels. The present findings suggest that treatment with VE, VC and β-C results in promising improvements in cognitive function in the elderly.

Keywords: amyloid-β; elderly cognitive function; estradiol; vitamin C; vitamin E; β-carotene.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cognitive assessments of the elderly subjects prior and subsequent to treatment. (A and B) Assessment of the cognitive function of the elderly subjects prior and subsequent to treatment with VE, VC and β-C using (A) the MMSE and (B) the HDS tests. Groups A–D underwent daily administration of 200 mg VE + 300 mg VC, combined with 16.7, 8.4, 5.6 or 0 mg/day β-C, respectively. For group E, 5 mg/day VE was administered as a control. Compared with the score prior to the treatment, *P<0.05; compared with the score in group E, #P<0.05. MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination; HDS, Hasegawa Dementia Scale; VE, vitamin E; VC, vitamin C; β-C, β-carotene.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effect of VE and VC combined with β-C on the plasma levels of (A) Aβ and (B) E2 in the elderly subjects prior and subsequent to treatment. Compared with the value prior to the treatment, *P<0.05; compared with the value in group E, #P<0.05. VE, vitamin E; VC, vitamin C; β-C, β-carotene; Aβ, amyloid-β; E2, estradiol.
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