A high-dose vitamin supplement may help reduce the risk of a second stroke, as well as death and cardiac events, according to a study published in the journal Stroke this November. The supplement consisted of vitamins B9 (folate), B6, and B12, which are known to reduce blood levels of homocysteine — an amino acid linked to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
In a previous report from the Vitamin Intervention for Stroke Prevention (VISP) study group, the combined vitamin therapy did not reduce recurrent stroke and cardiac events, but it turned out that the trial included patients who were not likely to benefit from the treatment. Whatever were they thinking?
Anyway, when the researchers re-analyzed the results in a subgroup of 2,155 subjects deemed most likely to respond to treatment, that is they excluded data from people who should not have been included in the first place, the combined vitamin therapy did appear to have a beneficial effect in reducing recurrence of stroke and cardiac events.
Specifically, the team compared results of low-dose vitamin versus high-dose vitamin therapy and found that high-dose vitamin supplements reduced recurrent stroke, death and heart disease by 21 percent. When they subdivided patients by baseline levels of vitamin B12, thus identifying those with difficulties absorbing the vitamin, the differences between the low-dose and high-dose groups became greater.
The researchers suggest that in the modern age in which grains are fortified with folate, the response to vitamin therapy for lowering homocysteine largely depends on B12 levels of the patients. Higher doses of B12, in addition to other therapies, will be required to reduce homocysteine, and thus to reduce stroke and the combined end point of stroke, death, and heart attack.
For a free source of excellent information on heart attack and stroke prevention follow the link on the right hand side of our nutraceutical page. To learn more about homocysteine see our homocysteine page and also read our recent post here at The Health Gazette.
