Vitamin requirements for the treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia in humans.
We have previously shown that a modest vitamin supplement containing folic acid, vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-6 is effective in reducing elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations. The effect of supplementation of the individual vitamins on moderate hyperhomocysteinemia has now been investigated in a placebo-controlled study. One hundred men with hyperhomocysteinemia were randomly assigned to five groups and treated with a daily dose of placebo, folic acid (0.65 mg), vitamin B-12 (0.4 mg), vitamin B-6 (10 mg) or a combination of the three vitamins for 6 wk. Folic acid supplementation reduced plasma homocysteine concentrations by 41.7% (P < 0.001), whereas the daily vitamin B-12 supplement lowered homocysteine concentrations by 14.8% (P < 0.01). The daily pyridoxine dose did not reduce significantly plasma homocysteine concentrations. The combination of the three vitamins reduced circulating homocysteine concentrations by 49.8%, which was not significantly different (P = 0.48) from the reduction achieved by folate supplementation alone. Our results indicate that folate deficiency may be an important cause of hyperhomocysteinemia in the general population.
Ubbink
J B
JB
Department of Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Vermaak
W J
WJ
van der Merwe
A
A
Becker
P J
PJ
Delport
R
R
Potgieter
H C
HC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D010919:Placebos; D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D011736:Pyridoxine; D014805:Vitamin B 12