title: [The importance of folic acid in current medicine].
abstract: Lately, folic acid deficiency is gaining a predominant role in the pathogenesis of congenital malformations and cardiovascular diseases in adults. The planning of individual and population preventive strategies for these diseases must consider this deficiency. This paper reviews the anatomical, biochemical and molecular bases of neural tube defects and cardiovascular diseases in adults. In these two frequent diseases, folic acid supplementation has shown a clear cut protective effect.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos (INTA), Universidad de Chile. fcortes@uec.inta.uchile.cl
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cortés
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: de la Maza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D006397:Hematinics; D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid