Folic Acid and Heart Disease and Stroke

Higher levels of homocysteine increase the risk for coronary heart disease and stroke. Although folic-acid therapy can reduce levels of serum homocysteine, results of studies examining the effects of folic-acid supplementation on the risk for cardiovascular disease have been mixed. The current meta-analysis finds that folic-acid supplementation does not improve the risk for cardiovascular disease outcomes or all-cause mortality among patients with a history of cardiovascular disease or end-stage renal disease.