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Folic Acid Improves Endothelial Function And Blood Pressure In Smokers

Supplementation with folic acid significantly enhances endothelial function and reduces blood pressure in young, chronic smokers.

Smoking cigarettes is known to increase plasma homocysteine, explain investigators, which in turn induces endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening, contributing to the vascular abnormalities observed in smokers.

The investigators, from Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine at King's College London, England, studied 24 healthy cigarette smokers to determine if folic acid supplementation, which reduces homocysteine levels, could improve endothelial function and arterial stiffness.

Smokers were randomly assigned to receive either 5 milligrams of folic acid or placebo every day.

After four weeks, results showed that homocysteine concentrations were reduced in smokers who received folic acid. Folic acid enhanced endothelium-dependent vasodilation but had no effect on endothelium-independent vasodilation.

Mean blood pressure was significantly reduced from 88 ± 2 to 83 ± 1 mmHg in those patients who received supplementation. Carotid artery pulse-wave velocity was unchanged.

The effects on endothelial function and blood pressure were largely independent of the homocysteine lowering effect, the investigators report.

No significant changes were observed in the smokers taking placebo.

Folic acid supplementation might be a useful intervention for primary cardiovascular prevention in this high-risk group, the investigators conclude.
J Intern Med 2002; 252(6): 497-503. "Folic acid enhances endothelial function and reduces blood pressure in smokers: a randomized controlled trial."

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