Nation IN BRIEF : MAINE : Vitamin Deficiency Tied to Heart Ills

A simple vitamin deficiency could trigger 30% to 40% of the heart attacks and strokes suffered by American men each year, a researcher reported at a genetics meeting in Bar Harbor, Me. The vitamin is folic acid, heralded in recent years for its critical role in preventing birth defects. About 400 micrograms of folic acid per day seems to be enough to lower homocysteine to a safe level, geneticist Judith Hall said, protecting against heart attacks, strokes and birth defects. Folic acid is found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce, and in many fruits.