Effect of Folic Acid and Betaine on Blood Vessel Function
Author Information
Author(s): Margreet R. Olthof, Michiel L. Bots, Martijn B. Katan, Petra Verhoef
Primary Institution: Wageningen University
Hypothesis
Does reducing homocysteine levels through supplements affect vascular function as measured by flow-mediated dilation?
Conclusion
Increasing homocysteine levels did not impair blood vessel function in healthy volunteers, suggesting that high homocysteine may not affect cardiovascular risk through vascular function.
Supporting Evidence
- FMD was not affected by methionine loading with placebo or supplements.
- Betaine and serine reduced the increase in homocysteine levels after methionine loading.
- Fasting homocysteine levels were lower during the trial than during screening.
Takeaway
The study tested if certain supplements could help blood vessels work better after raising homocysteine levels, but they found no effect.
Methodology
This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study where participants took different supplements with a methionine load on separate days.
Potential Biases
There may be a risk of bias due to the short observation period and the specific participant selection.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and did not assess long-term clinical outcomes like heart disease or stroke.
Participant Demographics
Participants were 39 healthy men and women aged 50–70 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95%CI, −0.6; 1.9
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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