B Vitamins Ineffective in Reducing the Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke and Death

Often referred to as the "happy vitamins," B vitamins have many positive effects on our bodies. They are essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose, which provides us energy, for the breakdown of fats and proteins, which aids in the normal functioning of the nervous system and digestive tract and for the proper formation of every cell in the body, including nerve and blood cells. B vitamins have been shown to prevent birth defects and to reduce or eliminate symptoms of depression, anemia and Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). But if you are counting on B vitamins to reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke or death—don't!

Researchers at the Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway monitored 3,096 patients with heart disease for about three years to determine whether lowering the rate of homocysteine, an amino acid made by the body during metabolism, could prevent further heart problems, heart attacks, stroke and death in people suffering from coronary heart disease. High homocysteine is thought to damage the lining of the arteries and damage blood vessel function. The patients were in their early 60s, on average and more than 75 percent were taking various medications to treat their heart disease. While they continued to take their regular medications, they also received either a daily supplement of folic acid plus vitamins B6 and B12; folic acid plus vitamin B12; vitamin B6 alone; or a placebo.

However, despite an overall 30 percent reduction in homocysteine levels, none of the B vitamin combinations were found to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke or death. "Although we lowered homocysteine by almost one-third, it did not seem to have any beneficial effects," said researcher Dr. Marta Ebbing. "Our findings might imply that homocysteine does not change the course of coronary artery disease, but it's just a risk marker of increased risk in coronary artery disease patients."

Although the latest findings were consistent with previous studies, scientist say further clinical trials involving B vitamins are needed to better understand how they may impact patient's health. And it has yet to be determined whether people with healthy hearts who use B vitamins would have a more positive outcome than those already suffering from heart disease.

The study appears in the August 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.