Folic Acid Lowers Homocysteine but Not Heart Attacks

The amino acid homocysteine has been fingered as a culprit in heart disease. High levels of this byproduct of meat metabolism have been suspected as increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. One way to lower homocysteine is with the B vitamin folic acid.
A recent analysis shows, however, that even getting homocysteine levels down does not protect people from cardiovascular complications. Investigators analyzed eight large clinical trials with more than 37,000 people at high risk of heart attacks. The amounts of folic acid studied ranged from twice the usual dose up to 100 times the normal dose of 400 micrograms. It didn’t matter: people taking folic acid were just as likely to die from stroke or heart disease as those taking placebo.
[Archives of Internal Medicine, Oct. 11, 2010]