Authors
Paleologos M. Cumming RG. Lazarus R.
Institution
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Title
Cohort study of vitamin C
intake and cognitive impairment.
Source
American Journal of Epidemiology. 148(1):45-50, 1998 Jul 1.
Abstract
To test the hypothesis that vitamin C protects against
cognitive impairment, the authors conducted a cohort
study (n=117) in a retirement community in Sydney,
Australia. Vitamin C intake was assessed at baseline (1991)
with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, and cognitive function
was assessed 4 years later (1995). After adjustment for age, sex, smoking,
education, total energy intake, and use of psychotropic medications,
consumption of vitamin C supplements was associated with a
lower prevalence of more severe cognitive impairment (based on scores on the
Mini-Mental State Examination; adjusted odds ratio=0.39, 95% confidence
interval 0.18-0.84). There were no associations between
vitamin C intake and scores on tests of verbal and category
fluency. This study suggests that vitamin C
might protect against cognitive impairment.