INTRODUCTION Age-related cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer disease, are among the main causes of disability and dependence in older adults worldwide. High blood homocysteine levels (hyperhomocysteinemia) are a risk factor for diseases whose metabolism involves different B vitamins. Antioxidant vitamins provide a protective effect by mitigating oxidative stress generated by these diseases. Epidemiological studies have presented varying results on the relationships between blood levels of these vitamins and such cognitive disorders. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the association of vitamin and homocysteine levels with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease in a group of Cuban older adults.METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in Havana, Cuba, of 424 persons aged ≥65 years: 43 with Alzheimer disease, 131 with mild cognitive impairment, and 250 with no signs of cognitive impairment. Dementia was diagnosed using criteria of the International 10/66 Dementia Research Group and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), and mild cognitive impairment was diagnosed using Petersen's criteria. Blood levels of vitamins (thiamine, B-2, folate, B-12, C and A) and homocysteine were measured by standard procedures. Analysis of variance for continuous variables and percentage comparison tests for dichotomous variables were used to compare groups. RESULTSPersons with Alzheimer disease presented signifi cantly lower levels of vitamins B-2, C and A than healthy participants (p <0.05). Homocysteine levels were signifi cantly higher in those with Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment than in participants with no cognitive impairment (p <0.05). Statistically, levels of thiamine, folic acid, and vitamin B-12 were not signifi cantly different across groups. Compared with those without cognitive impairment, prevalence rates (PR) in the Alzheimer group were signifi cantly higher for hyperhomocysteinemia (PR = 3.26; 1.84-5.80) and deficiency of all B vitamins: thiamine (PR = 1.89; 1.04-3.43), B-2 (PR = 2.85; 1.54-5.26), folate (PR = 3.02; 1.53-5.95), B-12 (PR = 2.21; 1.17-4.19), vitamin C (PR = 3.88; 2.12-7.10) and A (PR = 5.47; 3.26-9.17). In mild cognitive impairment, prevalence rates were signifi cantly higher for hyperhomocysteinemia (PR = 1.42; 1.08-1.87), vitamin B-2 defi ciency (PR = 1.70; 1.24-2.32) and vitamin A deficiency (PR =1.88; 1.05-3.38).CONCLUSIONS Hyperhomocysteinemia and various vitamin defi ciencies are related to Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment. Longitudinal studies are needed to further elucidate the relationship between different nutritional biomarkers and dementia. A better understanding of this relationship could provide a basis for therapeutic and preventive strategies.
Resumen: Uno de los movimientos que buscan alternativas al sistema hegemónico en este principio de milenio es el de la Economía Solidaria que, entre otras propuestas, lanza el dinero alternativo con el fin de dinamizar el movimiento de los productos y con ello una economía alternativa que propugna nuevos valores éticos como la reciprocidad y la redistribución de la riqueza. El dinero alternativo tiene posibilidades que van más allá de facilitar los intercambios entre los individuos: permite que las personas se apoyen mutuamente desde lo que saben hacer (productos y servicios) y, al mismo tiempo que adquieren ingresos, conformen comunidades basadas en la confianza y la solidaridad. Sin embargo, el uso de las monedas comunitarias (como se le llama al dinero alternativo en un contexto de economía solidaria) no se ha extendido en México debido a diversos factores, entre los cuales se pueden mencionar: la necesidad de la gente de ganar pesos para pagar cuentas y deudas; la falta de oferta de bienes básicos para ser adquiridos con dichas monedas y, sobre todo, la poca comprensión de muchos usuarios potenciales de que con estas monedas se pueden hacer cambios radicales en el Mercado y con ello en la sociedad actual.Palabras clave: economía solidaria, monedas comunitarias, reciprocidad, intercambios, mercados alternativos. Recreating money in a solidarity economyAbstract: One of the movements seeking alternatives to the hegemonic system in the beguining of this millennium is the solidarity economy that, among other proposals, is launching the alternative currency to boost the movement of products and thus an alternative economy that calls for new ethical values __such as reciprocity and redistribution of wealth. Alternative money has the potential to go beyond facilitating exchanges between individuals, allows people to support each other from what they do (products and services) and at the same time acquiring membership to conform communities based on trust and solidarity. However, the use of communitary currencies (as it is called the alternative currency in a context of solidarity economy) has not been widespread in Mexico due to several factors, which may be mentioned: the need for people to gain weight to pay bills and debts, lack of supply of commodities to be bought with these coins and, especially, the lack of understanding of many potential users that these coins can make radical changes in the market and thus in current society
El objetivo de este análisis es confrontar los resultados antracológicos con los fenómenos culturales, geomorfólogicos y climáticos detectados para el período Holoceno medio en la región esteparia de Magallanes, más específicamente en el ecosistema del alero Cerro Castillo (Legoupil 2009, Bertrán 2009, en este volumen). El total de 629 carbones analizados, pertenecientes a 16 niveles de la columna efectuada en F15 del alero Cerro Castillo, presentan un espectro vegetacional específico, compuesto por un número reducido de taxa leñosas (7), en las cuales los géneros Nothofagus y Berberis se reiteran y sustituyen en importancia a lo largo de la secuencia. De este modo, mientras las especies arbóreas predominan en las unidades sedimentarias más recientes (II-III), el género arbustivo Berberis es dominante en la unidad IV (4.500 AP). Estos resultados sugieren la ocurrencia de episodios de quema puntuales y localizados, escenario que no coincide con los resultados obtenidos en análisis palinológicos para el área. Una serie de estudios antracológicos, incluyendo un muestreo más amplio, será necesario para descubrir la causa de esta discrepancia.
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