NEW YORK, Sep 07 (Reuters Health) -- Young women who are not getting enough folic acid and other B vitamins may be at higher risk for stroke, according to a report in the August issue of the journal Stroke.
Researchers from the University of Maryland at Baltimore measured blood levels of an amino acid called homocysteine in 167 women aged 15 through 44 who had suffered a stroke, and also in 328 stroke-free controls. Women in the study with the highest levels of homocysteine had more than twice the stroke risk than those with lower blood levels of this amino acid, the investigators report.
When researchers took into account other factors known to affect stroke risk, including cigarette smoking and socioeconomic status, women with highest blood levels of homocysteine were still 60% more likely to suffer a stroke than women with the lowest levels, the study showed.
Previous studies have suggested that high levels of homocysteine may increase risk for heart disease and stroke. Consuming more folic acid and other B vitamins, however, is believed to lower blood levels of homocysteine.
"The magnitude of the increase in stroke risk was similar to that of smoking a pack of cigarettes per day. Even moderately higher homocysteine levels -- those that would be considered normal among older people -- conferred a greater risk of stroke among women in our study," points out lead researcher Dr. Steven J. Kittner, professor of neurology, epidemiology and preventive medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in a written statement.
"We may have the potential to significantly improve the public health and reduce the risk of stroke and other forms of cardiovascular disease with nutritional intervention," he notes. The next step is to embark on a study to see if stroke can, in fact, be prevented with high doses of B vitamins, Kittner adds.
Folic acid is found in green leafy vegetables, fortified or enriched cold cereals and legumes. Vitamin B-6 is found in grains, poultry, fish and potatoes, and vitamin B-12 can be found in beef, enriched breakfast cereal, chicken, salmon and tuna.
To get adequate amounts of these vitamins, Kittner suggests eating seven servings of vegetables and fruit each day, along with moderate consumption of meat and dairy products.
Every minute in the United States, a person experiences a stroke or brain attack, which occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, according to the National Stroke Association in Englewood, Colorado.
