Low-dose B Vitamins Supplementation Improves Framingham Risk Score: A Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Chinese Elderly
Linlin Wang *
Peking University, Beijing, China.
Hongtian Li
Peking University, Beijing, China.
Yuan Zhou
Xiacheng District Institute of Health Inspection, Hangzhou, China.
Lei Jin
Peking University, Beijing, China.
Jianmeng Liu
Peking University, Beijing, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Objectives: We investigated whether daily supplementation with low-dose B vitamins in healthy elderly improves Framingham risk score (FRS), a cardiovascular disease predictor.
Methods: A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in a rural area of North China during 2007-2012. 390 healthy participants aged 60-74 were randomly allocated to receive daily vitamin C (50 mg; control) or vitamin C plus B vitamins (400 µg folic acid, 2 mg B6, and 10 µg B12) for 12 months. The outcome was FRS.
Results: Compared with control, supplementation with B vitamins reduced FRS by 3.7% (mean difference, -0.38; 95% CI -1.06, 0.31; P=0.279) at 6 months, 7.6% (-0.77; 95% CI -1.47, -0.06; P=0.033) at 12 months, but this reduction effect vanished 6 months later after stopping supplementation (-0.7%; -0.07; 95% CI -0.80, 0.66; P=0.855). The reduction in FRS at 12 months after supplementation was more pronounced in individuals with folate deficiency (11.0%; -1.38; 95% CI -2.56, -0.20; P=0.023) than those without folate deficiency (5.0%; -0.47; 95% CI -1.20, 0.26; P=0.206). B vitamins elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 3.4% (0.04 mmol/L; 95% CI -0.02, 0.10; P=0.155) at 6 months, 9.2% (0.11 mmol/L; 95% CI 0.04, 0.18; P=0.003) at 12 months; the change magnitude declined to 3.3% (0.04 mmol/L; 95% CI -0.02, 0.10; P=0.194) after stopping supplementation, compared with control.
Conclusions: Daily supplementation with low-dose B vitamins for 12 months reduced FRS, particularly in healthy elderly with folate deficiency. These reduction effects declined after stopping supplementation, indicating a need for persistent supplementation to maintain the benefits.