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CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
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B vitamins don't seem to keep heart problems at bay.
THE QUESTION Homocysteine, an amino acid present in the blood, has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease. Might taking B vitamins, which can lower homocysteine levels, help people with coronary artery disease reduce the likelihood of heart attack or stroke?
THIS STUDY randomly assigned 3,096 adults (average age, 62) with narrowed or blocked coronary arteries or heart valves to one of four groups taking daily supplements: folic acid (Vitamin B9), B6and B12; folic acid and B12; B6alone; or a placebo. Homocysteine levels fell an average of 30 percent within a year among those taking folic acid and B12. After three years, 422 participants had had a serious heart problem, such as a heart attack or stroke, but the rate was roughly the same (about 14 percent) for each treatment group.
WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? People with coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease. It occurs when plaque builds up on the inner walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, causing them to become hardened and narrowed.
CAVEATS The authors suggested that homocysteine levels might indicate cardiovascular risk rather than cause it. The study was stopped about a year early because a large number of participants quit after learning that another study involving B12suggested a possible link between the vitamin and an increased risk for cancer. The authors wrote that preliminary results from this study "did not give any reason for concern." Supplements used in the study were provided by Alpharma, one of 10 sponsors of the research.
FIND THIS STUDY Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
LEARN MORE ABOUT coronary artery disease at http:/
