Debate: Vitamin Therapy Still Capable of Reducing Stroke Risk

Vitamin therapy is still a key participant in reducing stroke, argue experts.

Dr. David Spence of the University of Western Ontario and Dr. Meir Stampfer of the Harvard School of Public Health made their claim recently.

How to Deal with a Stroke - Signs - Symptoms - Risk Factors - Prevention
Stroke is a brain attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted. It affects all age groups; according to the WHO, 15 million people are affected by stroke annually.

Vitamin B therapy was once widely used to lower homocysteine levels. Too much of this amino acid in the bloodstream was linked to increased risk of stroke and heart attack.

But several randomised trials found lowering homocysteine levels with B vitamins did not result in a cardiovascular benefit.

And a study by Dr. Spence, a scientist with the Robarts Research Institute at Western's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, found Vitamin B therapy actually increased cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Stroke – Early Warning Signs - Risk Factor - Rehab - Treatment
Stroke can cause permanent disability and it is important to recognize its early warning signs to stop its progress. Early warning signs of stroke include sudden weakness of facial muscles.

Dr. Spence said the study provides insights that overturn the widespread belief that "homocysteine is dead."

He noted that two key issues have been overlooked in the interpretation of the clinical trials: the key role of vitamin B12, and the newly recognized role of renal failure.

Heat Stroke - Causes - Symptoms - Treatment - FAQs
Heat stroke is caused when body temperature or hyperthermia exceeds 40.6°C or 105.1°F. Heat stroke can be triggered due to overwork during summer months and lack of perspiration.

"It is now clear that the large trials showing no benefit of vitamin therapy obscured the benefit of vitamin therapy because they lumped together patients with renal failure and those with good renal function," Dr. Spence stated.

"The vitamins are harmful in renal failure, and beneficial in patients with good renal function, and they cancel each other out," he added.

Heart Attack - Overview
Heart attack is the death of the heart muscle due to loss of blood supply. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Other names for heart attack include acute myocardial infarction, coronary thrombosis, and coronary occlusion.

The researchers also contend most of the trials did not use a high enough dose of vitamin B12.

Their findings appeared in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Source-ANI