Abstract
In humans low intake or low levels of folate are related to elevated homocysteine (Hcy) or blood pressure (BP). This study was performed to test whether in healthy postmenopausal women a 3-week administration of folate (5-methyltetrahydrofolate: 5-MTHF) at the dose of 15 mg/day (n=15), was, in comparison to placebo (n=15), capable of modifying 24-h ambulatory BP, along with Hcy and insulin metabolism. Placebo did not modify any parameter. 5-MTHF significantly decreased nocturnal systolic (−4.48±1.8 mm Hg; P=0.029), diastolic (−5.33±1.3 mm Hg; P=0.001) and mean (−5.10±1.1 mm Hg; P=0.005) BP, in a way that was significantly different from that observed during placebo. 5-MTHF also reduced Hcy (11.77±1.15 vs 8.71±0.50 μmol/l; P=0.03), and insulin resistance, evaluated by HOMA-IR (2.58±0.04 vs 2.03±0.04; P=0.01). Whether maintained in the long term, 5-MTHF's cardiovascular and metabolic effect may contribute to primary cardiovascular prevention of postmenopausal women.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson TJ, Sun Y-H, Hubacek J, Hyndman ME, Verma S, Shewchuk L et al. (2006). Effect of folinic acid on forearm blood flow in patients with end-stage renal disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant 21, 1927–1933.
Bates CJ, Mansoor MA, van der Pols J, Prentice A, Cole TJ, Finch S (1997). Plasma total homocysteine in a representative sample of 972 British men and women aged 65 and over. Eur J Clin Nutr 51, 691–697.
Forman JP, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Curhan GC (2005). Folate intake and the risk of incident hypertension among US women. JAMA 293, 320–329.
Kahleová R, Palyzová D, Zvara K, Zvarová J, Hrach K, Novaková I et al. (2002). Essential hypertension in adolescents: association with insulin resistance and with metabolism of homocysteine and vitamins. Am J Hypertens 15, 857–864.
Mangoni AA, Sherwood RA, Swift CG, Jackson SH (2002). Folic acid enhances endothelial function and reduces blood pressure in smokers: a randomized controlled trial. J Intern Med 252, 497–503.
Nijhout HF, Reed MC, Budu P, Ulrich CM (2004). A mathematical model of the folate cycle. New insights into folate homeostasis. J Biol Chem 279, 55008–55016.
Staessen JA, Bulpitt CJ, Fagard R, Lijnen P, Amery A (1989). The influence of menopause on blood pressure. J Hum Hypertens 3, 427–433.
van Dijk RA, Rauwerda JA, Steyn M, Twisk JW, Stehouwer CD (2001). Long-term homocysteine-lowering treatment with folic acid plus pyridoxine is associated with decreased blood pressure but not with improved brachial artery endothelium-dependent vasodilation or carotid artery stiffness: a 2-year, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 21, 2072–2079.
Verdecchia P (2000). Prognostic value of ambulatory blood pressure: current evidence and clinical implications. Hypertension 35, 844–851.
Villa P, Perri C, Suriano R, Cucinelli F, Panunzi S, Ranieri M et al. (2005). L-folic acid supplementation in healthy postmenopausal women: effect on homocysteine and glycolipid metabolism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 90, 4622–4629.
Acknowledgements
Financial support: Unrestricted funds of Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cagnacci, A., Cannoletta, M. & Volpe, A. High-dose short-term folate administration modifies ambulatory blood pressure in postmenopausal women. A placebo-controlled study. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 1266–1268 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.58
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.58
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Low doses of folic acid can reduce hyperhomocysteinemia-induced glomerular injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Hypertension Research (2020)
-
Mendelian randomisation study of the associations of vitamin B12 and folate genetic risk scores with blood pressure and fasting serum lipid levels in three Danish population-based studies
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2016)
-
Folate administration decreases oxidative status and blood pressure in postmenopausal women
European Journal of Nutrition (2015)
-
The use of high dose d,l-leucovorin in first-line bevacizumab+mFOLFIRI treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer may enhance the antiangiogenic effect of bevacizumab
Angiogenesis (2013)
-
Association between Low Red Blood Cell 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate and Hyperhomocysteinaemia with Hypertension
High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention (2012)