Vitamin B may reduce risk of heart disease

Consuming high levels of vitamin B6 and folate may substantially reduce a woman's risk of coronary artery disease, according to study published in the journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 1998;279:359-64).

The study, led by Dr Eric Rimm of the Harvard School of Public Health, is the latest in a series of recent investigations linking high levels of homocysteine with atherosclerotic plaque formation and occlusive vascular disease. The B vitamins are known to be involved in the metabolism of homocysteine.

The researchers analysed data from over 80000 women enrolled in the nurses health study. The women filled out a …