A large study from China found that people who took the B vitamin folic acid along with the blood pressure medication enalapril reduce their risk for a stroke.
What the Researchers Did
The researchers recruited more than 20,000 Chinese adults with elevated blood pressure. They were randomly assigned to take either enalapril or a single pill containing both enalapril and folic acid.
What Did the Results Show?
Over the next 4.5 years, 2.7 percent of those on the combination treatment suffered an initial stroke, compared to 3.4 percent of those taking enalapril alone. Importantly, people whose blood levels of folic acid were low at the beginning of the trial got the most benefit from the supplement. This may suggest that those are the folks who would get the greatest effect from a folic acid supplement.
