Lowering blood homocysteine with folic acid based supplements: meta-analysis of randomised trials

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Abstract
Objective: To determine the size of reduction in homocysteine concentrations produced by dietary supplementation with folic acid and with vitamins B-12 or B-6. Design: Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials that assessed the effects of folic acid based supplements on blood homocysteine concentrations. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the effects on homocysteine concentrations of different doses of folic acid and of the addition of vitamin B-12 or B-6. Subjects: Individual data on 1114 people included in 12 trials. Findings: The proportional and absolute reductions in blood homocysteine produced by folic acid supplements were greater at higher pretreatment blood homocysteine concentrations (PConclusions: Typically in Western populations, daily supplementation with both 0.5-5 mg folic acid and about 0.5 mg vitamin B-12 would be expected to reduce blood homocysteine concentrations by about a quarter to a third (for example, from about 12 μmol/l to 8-9 μmol/l). Large scale randomised trials of such regimens in high risk populations are now needed to determine whether lowering blood homocysteine concentrations reduces the risk of vascular disease. Higher blood homocysteine concentrations seem to be associated with higher risks of occlusive vascular disease and with lower blood concentrations of folate and vitamins B-12 and B-6 Proportional and absolute reductions in blood homocysteine concentrations with folic acid supplements are greater at higher pretreatment blood homocysteine concentrations and at lower pretreatment blood folate concentrations In typical Western populations, supplementation with both 0.5-5 mg daily folic acid and about 0.5 mg daily vitamin B-12 should reduce blood homocysteine concentrations by about a quarter to a third Large scale randomised trials of such regimens in people at high risk are now needed to determine whether lowering blood homocysteine concentrations reduces the risk of vascular disease