Reduction of plasma homocysteine and serum methylmalonate concentrations in apparently healthy elderly subjects after treatment with folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6: a randomised trial

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).

To investigate, in an elderly population: (1) the effects of oral B-vitamin therapy on P-tHcys, S-MMA and Hb/MCV, (2) the appropriate decision limit for 'high' metabolite concentrations and (3) the estimated prevalence of vitamin B(12)/folate deficiency on the basis of different decision limits.

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

A total of 209 community-dwelling subjects, median age 76 y (range 70-93) y.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) could be set against what happens without it.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Folic Acid, Folic Acid Deficiency, Homocysteine, Methylmalonic Acid, Vitamin B 12, Vitamin B 12 Deficiency and Vitamin B 6.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 9 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2003 (European journal of clinical nutrition), a journal based in England.

More context: the Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) compound page, all human trials.