B Vitamins & Heart Disease
Reported August 19, 2008
High levels of an amino acid in the blood called homocysteine have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Researchers are looking to a common vitamin, one you may have in your medicine cabinet, to lower that risk.
Researchers in Norway studied whether using B vitamins such as folic acid and B12 could help prevent heart problems. What they found was while homocysteine levels did improve, the overall risk for patients did not.
Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women, and high levels of amino acid in the blood are often a risk factor.
Dr. Marta Ebbing of Haukeland University Hospital says, “We could lower their homocysteine values, and thus we thought also we could lower their risk for having further heart attacks and related disease.”
Researchers studied more than 3,000 patients with coronary artery disease. Some received a daily dose of vitamin B12, B6, or folic acid. Others received a placebo. For three years, patient’s blood samples allowed researchers to monitor homocysteine levels.
Dr. Ebbing says, “Although we lowered homocysteine by almost one third it did not seem to have any beneficial effects.”
The study revealed that none of the various forms of vitamin B helped to lower the risk of heart attacks, stroke, or death.
Dr.Oyvind Bleie of Haukeland University Hospital says, “We couldn’t find anything statistical difference between the groups.”
Dr. Ebbing says, “Our findings might imply that homosycteine does not change the course of coronary artery disease but is just a risk marker of increased risk in coronary artery disease patients.”
These findings are consistent with previous studies. However, scientists say further clinical trials involving B vitamins are needed to better understand how they may impact patient’s health.
While patients with coronary artery disease did not benefit from B vitamins, researchers say there wasn’t an increase in adverse effects either.