Folic acid has long been heralded as an important pregnancy vitamin by preventing neural tube defects in infants. But now it seems to be attributed to reducing the incidence of stroke also.
A review in the June 2 issue of The Lancet medical journal states that it has been found that supplementation of the vitamin may reduce the risk of stroke by 18 percent or more, but it's not clear whether it boosts outcomes for other cardiovascular conditions.
A study published last year in the journal Circulation found that there was a significant drop in stroke death rates in Canada and the United States after both countries mandated folic acid fortification of cereals and breads in 1998.
For the new research, a U.S. team reviewed eight studies of folic acid supplementation, which lowers concentrations of homocysteine in the blood. High homocysteine levels are believed to increase the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and deep vein thrombosis and found that folic acid supplementation reduced the risk of stroke by an average of 18 percent.
Even greater risk reduction were noted when treatment lasted more than 36 months (29 percent lower risk); when homocysteine levels were reduced by more than 20 percent (23 percent lower risk); or if a patient had no previous history of stroke (25 percent lower risk).
In regions that did not already have supplementation via fortified foods, the introduction of folic acid supplementation reduced stroke risk by 25 percent.
Emma Brown B.Sc
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