Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid and homocysteine:

Lowering of homocysteine, an amino acid, with folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 had a modest, but beneficial effect on stroke prevention or fatal stroke among a population at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Results from this five-year research trial that randomly assigned 5,522 adults with heart disease to either placebo or a daily combination regimen of 2.5 mg. of folic acid (vitamin B9), 50 mg vitamin B6 and 1mg of vitamin B12 found that daily supplements of folic acid, vitamin B6, and B12 for 5 years reduced the risk of stroke by 25%. However, no noticeable effect was observed during the first 3 years of supplementation. During a five-year follow-up period, stroke occurred in 258 of the participants (4.7%). The risk was lower in those who followed the vitamin regimen. The average homocysteine concentration decreased by 2.2 micromol/L in the vitamin therapy group and increased by 0.80 micromol/L in the placebo group. Those who benefited the most from the vitamin treatment included people: younger than 69, with higher cholesterol and homocysteine levels at the start of the study, from areas where folic acid-fortified food isn’t available, who weren’t receiving anti-platelet drugs or cholesterol-lowering drugs at the start of the study. (2)