Nutritional supplement for heart attacks useless

Dietary supplements with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B apparently do not protect against heart attacks and strokes, a French study reports.

20.01.2011

Dietary supplements have no effect on heart attack or strokes. The German Society of Neurology said that „the use of nutritional supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular events (...) are not recommended“ can.

Many dietary supplements with a wide variety of promised effects are available on the market. However, neither omega-3 fatty acids nor B vitamins protect against cardiovascular diseases. This is also the result of a randomized French study of 2,501 participants, who found no difference in the incidence of serious cardiovascular events after taking supplements. Including this recent French study, recent major studies have shown that dietary supplements do not have a preventive effect on cardiovascular events.

Over 2,500 patients studied for almost 5 years
The French study divided the 2,501 participants into four groups and then randomly received either B vitamins (specifically a mixture of B6, B12 and the folic acid compound 5-methyltetrahydrofolate), omega-3, for an average of 4.7 years Fatty acids, both active ingredients or a dummy drug. 1,150 of the participating patients had just survived a heart attack, 638 had a stroke, and 713 had a diagnosis of unstable angina pectoris (heart pain). The study looked at patients aged between 45 and 80 through a network of 417 physicians and specialists, starting on average 101 days after their heart disease with supplements and sham medicines. The research team led by Pilar Galan of the Université Paris found that neither the B vitamin pills nor omega-3 fatty acids as a dietary supplement could significantly reduce the number of serious cardiovascular events.

No reduction in cardiovascular events through nutritional supplementation
In the end, none of the supplements could reduce the total number of major cardiovascular events compared to the dummy drug. Thus, when comparing B vitamins with placebo, 75 patients had a serious vascular event compared with 82 patients, which is a statistically negligible magnitude and may be due to chance. The comparison of omega-3 fatty acids and placebo revealed as many as 81 versus 76 major cardiovascular events, which would be more likely to increase the risk. At first glance, the result looked more positive when it came to reducing strokes due to B vitamins: the number had dropped from 36 to 21 events. However, the mortality with 72 compared to 45 deaths significantly increased, report the French researchers. Therefore, can „the use of nutritional supplements to prevent cardiovascular events“ also in the opinion of the expert of the German Society of Neurology, Professor Hans-Christoph Diener, „still not recommended - and certainly should not replace proven therapies.“

B vitamins lower homocysteine ​​concentration
Concerning the results of the French study, Professor Diener emphasized: „This study again confirms that positive correlations from observational studies are not a good basis for recommendations to patients.“ Although some epidemiological studies have shown that elevated blood levels of the alpha-amino acid homocysteine ​​are a risk indicator for cardiovascular events, the French study confirmed a homocysteine ​​lowering effect of the vitamin B cocktail - the homocysteine ​​concentration in the blood plasma was reversed compared to the placebo group 19 percent. However, nine major studies have shown that despite the reduction in homocysteine ​​levels, there is no reduction in cardiovascular events. The French researchers also report on the publication of their study in the current issue of the „British Medical Journal“, that their investigation „Not the routine use of these supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease“ support. Although folic acid reduces the risk factor homocysteine, „However, intervention studies have failed to demonstrate any reduction in cardiovascular events through vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid therapy“ emphasized Prof. Diener. (Fp)

Also read:
Heart attack is a typical male disease
Heart attack risk in eastern Germany higher
Aircraft noise increases heart attack risk