Folic Acid Supplementation Improves Coronary Blood Flow

In a recent doubled-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of individuals with coronary heart disease, researchers found supplementation with high-dose folic acid (30 mg per day) improves blood flow to the heart muscle via the coronary arteries. Using positron emission tomography (PET scanning), researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital noted significant improvement in coronary blood flow with folic acid supplementation compared to placebo. The improvement was especially enhanced in areas of the heart that had shown reduced blood flow prior to supplementation. Folic acid supplementation also significantly lowered the study participants' blood pressure. Folic acid is already known to increase peripheral blood flow by increasing nitric oxide in vascular endothelial cells and to reduce homocysteine levels in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid that is an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, miscarriage, and Alzheimer's disease. The findings from the high-dose folate study demonstrate another significant way this nutrient benefits the cardiovascular system. J Am Coll Cardiol 2005;45:1580-1584.

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