Folic acid doesn't cut stroke risk

Studies have linked folic acid to lower rates of stroke. However, folic acid supplements don't seem to prevent strokes, according to a new study.

A stroke or brain attack occurs when the vessels supplying blood to the brain are blocked, interrupting the blood flow. This results in the death of the brain cells. To explore whether folic acid supplementation leads to a major reduction in stroke, researchers in of America analysed the findings of 13 well-designed clinical studies (metanalysis) that had enrolled 39,005 people who underwent trials of folic acid and stroke. The participants in all the trials had been diagnosed with conditions such as kidney and heart disease, as well as stroke.

Overall, there were 784 strokes found among 20,415 participants taking folic acid, compared to 791 strokes reported among 18,590 people who did not take the supplements.

There was a trend towards mild benefit of folic acid supplementation on the risk of stroke among persons at high cardiovascular risk but this finding was not statistically significant.

In conclusion, the study did not demonstrate a major benefit of folic acid supplementation in averting stroke. However, potential mild benefits were seen in primary stroke prevention, especially when folate was combined with B vitamins and in male patients. As folic acid supplementation is an inexpensive, safe, and widely applicable intervention, further investigation in these settings is warranted.