Folic acid fails to lower heart risks
From Times wire reports
Folic acid supplements don’t lower the odds of heart disease, stroke or death for patients who have a history of cardiovascular or kidney illness, according to a new analysis of a dozen trials.
The studies, published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., showed no statistically significant differences in the risks for patients who took folic acid and those who didn’t.
More than 70 million Americans have cardiovascular disease, the nation’s leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Instead of relying on folic acid, patients should focus on lowering cholesterol, treating high blood pressure and exercising, the authors said.
