Do certain amino acids modify the risk of dementia linked to air pollution? (High homocysteine or low methionine levels)

Medical Xpress / American Academy of Neurology / Neurology ^ | July 19, 2023 | Giulia Grande et al

[ConservativeMind]

Higher levels of vitamin B-related amino acids may be linked to the risk of dementia associated with a certain type of air pollutants called particulate matter, according to a study.

Researchers looked at fine particulate matter, PM2.5, which consists of pollutant particles of less than 2.5 microns in diameter suspended in air. They also looked at two amino acids, methionine and homocysteine. Methionine is an essential amino acid found in foods such as meat, fish, dairy, beans and eggs. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced in the cells that can be transformed to methionine through a reaction that requires both vitamin B12 and folate, a nutrient important in red blood cell formation and for healthy cell growth and function.

Participants completed interviews and blood tests, along with questionnaires on physical activity and diet habits.

Researchers then calculated annual average levels of PM2.5 at the home addresses of the participants. The people who developed dementia had an average exposure to PM2.5 pollution of 8.4 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), compared to 8.3 µg/m3 for the people who did not develop dementia. These annual average level of PM2.5 are low compared to the average levels of PM2.5 in the rest of Europe, which is 13.8 μg/m3.

After adjusting for several factors that affect a person's risk of dementia including age, sex, smoking, and education, researchers found that the risk of dementia increased by 70% for every one µg/m3 increase of PM2.5 exposure during the five years before the start of the study.

Then researchers looked at whether the impact of air pollution exposure on dementia was affected by the amino acids.

Overall, researchers found that about half of the increased risk of dementia due to PM2.5 was due to an interaction between air pollution and high homocysteine levels or low methionine levels.

[ConservativeMind]

It would suggest increasing protein sources and/or increasing vitamin B12 and folate, if deficient, could be helpful.

This found an association that mapped pretty clearly, but did not prove the relationship.

[ConservativeMind]

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