Archief Roodbont

This is the Medscape Neurology Minute. I'm Dr. Alan Jacobs. Compared with epidemiologic data, controlled trials have yielded mixed results on the effect of therapeutic homocysteine lowering on stroke prevention. Now, researchers at the UCLA Stroke Center in Los Angeles California have performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the efficacy of folic acid supplementation in the prevention of stroke. Their study consisted of 13 trials with 39,000 participants enrolled for folic acid therapy to reduce homocysteine, in which stroke was reported as an outcome measure. Across all trials, folic acid supplementation was associated with a trend toward mild benefit that did not reach statistical significance in reducing the risk for stroke. The relative risk for non-secondary-prevention trials was significant at 0.89. In stratified analyses, a greater beneficial effect was seen in the trials testing combination therapy of folic acid plus vitamins B₆ and B₁₂, and in the trials that disproportionately enrolled men. The investigators concluded that although folic acid supplementation did not demonstrate a major effect in averting stroke, potential mild benefits in primary stroke prevention, especially when folate is combined with B vitamins and in men, does merit further investigation. This article was selected from Medscape Best Evidence. I'm Dr. Alan Jacobs.

This is the Medscape Neurology Minute. I'm Dr. Alan Jacobs. Compared with epidemiologic data, controlled trials have yielded mixed results on the effect of therapeutic homocysteine lowering on stroke prevention. Now, researchers at the UCLA Stroke Center in Los Angeles California have performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the efficacy of folic acid supplementation in the prevention of stroke. Their study consisted of 13 trials with 39,000 participants enrolled for folic acid therapy to reduce homocysteine, in which stroke was reported as an outcome measure. Across all trials, folic acid supplementation was associated with a trend toward mild benefit that did not reach statistical significance in reducing the risk for stroke. The relative risk for non-secondary-prevention trials was significant at 0.89. In stratified analyses, a greater beneficial effect was seen in the trials testing combination therapy of folic acid plus vitamins B₆ and B₁₂, and in the trials that disproportionately enrolled men. The investigators concluded that although folic acid supplementation did not demonstrate a major effect in averting stroke, potential mild benefits in primary stroke prevention, especially when folate is combined with B vitamins and in men, does merit further investigation. This article was selected from Medscape Best Evidence. I'm Dr. Alan Jacobs.