title: Folic acid supplementation improves vascular function in amenorrheic runners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine if folic acid supplementation improves endothelial vascular function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation; FMD) in amenorrheic runners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical center in the Midwest.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten amenorrheic and 10 eumenorrheic women runners from the community volunteered for this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each participant was treated with folic acid (10 mg/d) for 4 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Brachial artery FMD was measured before and after folic acid supplementation with standard techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The brachial artery FMD response to reactive hyperemia improved after folic acid supplementation in amenorrheic women (3.0% +/- 2.3% vs. 7.7% +/- 4.5%; P = 0.02). In the eumenorrheic control group, there was no change in brachial artery FMD (6.7% +/- 2.0% vs. 5.9% +/- 2.6%; P = 0.52).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that brachial artery FMD, an indicator of vascular endothelial function, improves in amenorrheic female runners after short-term supplementation with folic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Anne Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Hoch
authors.forename: Stacy L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: Jason W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jurva
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schimke
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Gutterman
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000187:drug effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004106:Dilatation; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015146:Midwestern United States; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid