title: Possible relationship of folic Acid supplementation and improved flow-mediated dilation in premenopausal, eumenorrheic athletic women.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine if six weeks of folic acid supplementation would improve brachial artery endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation in eumenorrheic female runners with previously normal serum folate levels. This was a prospective, double-blinded, randomized pilot study with convenience sampling. Sixteen eumenorrheic subjects who were not taking birth control pills and who ran at least 20 miles/week were randomly assigned to 10 mg/day of folic acid supplementation or placebo for at least 6 weeks. Serum folate levels and brachial artery measurements were made during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, in a sedentary state, following an 8 hour fast; a standard ultrasound technique was used. The brachial artery vasodilator response to reactive hyperemia was similar between the folic acid (6.6% ± 0.8%, mean ± SE) and placebo groups (6.5% ± 0.7%) at baseline. After six weeks, there was a significantly higher change in flow-mediated dilation for the folic acid group (3.5% ± 0.6%) compared to the placebo group (0.1% ± 0.2%) (p = 0.01). Serum folate levels also increased significantly in the folic acid group following six weeks of folic acid supplementation. This study demonstrates that brachial artery flow-mediated dilation improves significantly in eumenorrheic female runners with previously normal serum folate levels after 6 weeks of supplementation with folic acid. Key pointsFolic acid improves FMD in eumenorrheic runners.Folic acid improves FMD in women runners.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery/Cardiovascular Center.
authors.forename: Anne Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Hoch
authors.forename: Nicholas M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Pajewski
authors.forename: Raymond G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schimke
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Gutterman
keywords: Premenopause; endothelial function; flow-mediated vasodilation; folate; regular menstruation