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Folate May Improve Artery
Function And Heart Health
Supplements of Folic Acid May Improve Cardiovascular
Health and Reduce The Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial
Disease (PAD), Suggests a New Study.
Daily
doses of 400 micrograms of the B-Vitamin led to significant
improvements in blood pressure and improved blood flow after
16 weeks
of supplementation, according to results published in the
British Journal of Surgery.
A
range of studies has linked increased blood levels of the amino acid
homocysteine to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
It
has been suggested that by lowering the levels of homocysteine in
the
blood with B-Vitamins, people could cut the risk of CVD.
The
new study, by scientists from Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
NHS Trust, the University of East Anglia, and the Institute of Food
Research,
report that supplements of Folic Acid could reduce
homocysteine levels, and
improve blood flow in people with PAD.
PAD
is associated with decreased blood flow in the legs, and occurs when
arteries in the legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits.
According
to 2008 statistic from the American Heart Association, PAD
affects about
8 million Americans and is associated with significant
disease and death.
The researchers recruited 20133 people with
PAD and randomly assigned
them to receive daily supplements of Folic
Acid (400 micrograms) or placebo
for 16 weeks. At the end of the
study, the researchers noted that, compared
to the placebo group, the
Folic Acid displayed significant reductions in
homocysteine of 2.12 and
2.07 micromoles per litre, respectively.
Measures of blood flow,
namely the so-called pulse wave velocity (PWV),
decreased. "Plasma
homocysteine has a significant association with PWV in
both healthy
individuals and people with vascular diseases," wrote the researchers.
"The present study suggested that lowering plasma homocysteine was
associated
with an improvement in PWV."
"This study found that
Folate supplementation substantially reduced plasma
homocysteine and
produced a statistically significant but clinically modest
improvement
in peripheral arterial circulation compared with placebo," concluded
the researchers.
Source: British Journal of Surgery
The study has the potential to lead to advances in the prevention and treatment
of skin lesions specifically, as well as contributing to the fight against cancer.
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