A study published in Stroke (2005; 36(11):2404–2409) examined B-vitamin supplementation and cerebrovascular outcomes in older adults. The randomized study included 2,155 men and women with a mean age of 66 years. Participants were assigned to receive either a low-dose supplement (20 µg folate, 200 µg vitamin B6, and 6 µg vitamin B12) or a high-dose supplement (2.5 mg folate, 25 mg vitamin B6, and 400 µg vitamin B12). These nutrients were selected because they act as cofactors in homocysteine metabolism.
Participants were pre-screened to exclude individuals with elevated baseline vitamin B12 levels or suspected malabsorption. Over the follow-up period, the group receiving the higher-dose B-vitamin supplementation experienced a lower incidence of stroke compared with the low-dose group, corresponding to a relative risk reduction of approximately 21%. Based on these findings, the authors suggested that B-vitamin fortification aimed at homocysteine reduction may be relevant for stroke risk in selected populations.
