No benefit from B Vitamin - study

A large patient trial found no evidence that B vitamins can help save the lives of heart patients.

Patients taking the vitamin supplements were no less likely to die than those given a "dummy" placebo treatment.

The vitamins also had no significant effect on non-fatal heart attacks and strokes, or hospitalisations for angina.

More than 3,000 patients in two Norwegian hospitals took part in the trial. It was set up because of evidence that B vitamins lower blood levels of homocysteine, a harmful amino acid linked to heart disease and stroke.

The study showed that taking folic acid and vitamin B12 reduced homocysteine concentrations in the body by 30%. However, this was not translated into any clinical benefit.

Patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups receiving combinations of folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, or a placebo.

The trial was stopped early after six years because of concerns over reports from another study that B vitamin treatment might increase the risk of cancer.

Findings from the research were reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The scientists, led by Dr Marta Ebbing, from Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, wrote: "This trial did not find an effect of treatment with folic acid/vitamin B12 or vitamin B6 on total mortality or cardiovascular events. Our findings do not support the use of B vitamins as secondary prevention in patients with coronary artery disease."

The research was criticised by the Health Supplements Information Service (HSIS) which represents vitamin manufacturers. Spokeswoman Pamela Mason said: "This is yet another study attempting to use vitamin supplements like drugs in the treatment and prevention of disease. B vitamins are not intended to be taken like drugs to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease. People should not be taking them for that purpose. They are health supplements and their role is in helping to maintain good health, particularly in those large numbers of adults whose dietary intake of essential nutrients is inadequate."

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