Evidence for...Vitamin B for heart disease prevention

Effect of homocysteine-lowering therapy with folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6 on clinical outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention: the Swiss Heart study: a randomized controlled trial.
Schnyder G et al.
JAMA. 2002;288:973-9.
Homocysteine-lowering therapy with folic acid (1 mg/day), vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin, 400 micro g/day) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride, 10 mg/day) significantly decreased the incidence of major adverse events in 272 patients after percutaneous coronary intervention.


What level of plasma homocyst(e)ine should be treated? Effects of vitamin therapy on progression of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with homocyst(e)ine levels above and below 14 micromol/L.
Hackam DG et al.
Am J Hypertens. 2000;13(1 Pt 1):105-10.
Vitamin therapy with folic acid 2.5 mg, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 25 mg, and vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) 250 microg daily for 4 years successfully reduced the amount of carotid plaque in the patients' arteries; the greatest effect was seen in those whose homocysteine levels had been highest before the treatment began.

N-3 PUFA from fish- or seal oil reduce atherogenic risk indicators in Danish women.
Deutch B et al.
Nutr Res. 2000;20:1065-77.
In 78 healthy young normolipidaemic women, 3 months' daily dietary supplementation with 7.5 mcg of vitamin B12 in combination with 5 grams of fish oil was superior to fish oil alone in the reduction of total serum cholesterol and triglycerides.