Key result
A single 5 mg dose of folic acid significantly improved cardiac and vascular sympathetic baroreceptor sensitivity compared with placebo in male patients with hypertension.
Why the study?
Does a single dose of folic acid improve cardiac and vascular sympathetic baroreceptor sensitivity in unmedicated male patients with hypertension?
RCT (n=21)
Randomized
Does a single dose of folic acid improve cardiac and vascular sympathetic baroreceptor sensitivity in unmedicated male patients with hypertension?
A single dose of folic acid significantly improves baroreceptor sensitivity in unmedicated hypertensive men, suggesting a potential novel approach to enhancing vagal control and autonomic regulation.
Single-dose folic acid may acutely aid autonomic regulation in hypertensive men; extends mechanistic RCT data but leaves clinical outcomes open.
In hypertension baroreceptor-mediated modulation of heart rate is impaired, resulting in a decreased vagal control. Reactive oxygen species produced locally in the vasculature decrease baroreceptor sensitivity. Folic acid has antioxidant properties. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test whether folic acid improves baroreceptor function in hypertension. Twenty-one male patients with hypertension not taking any drugs for 2 weeks participated in the study and were randomized to folic acid 5 mg or matching placebo. Cardiac and vascular sympathetic baroreceptor functions were tested before and after a single dose of folic acid or placebo with two different methods: the alpha-coefficient method and the phenylephrine (PE) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) bolus method. In the folic acid group both methods showed significantly improved cardiac and vascular sympathetic baroreceptor sensitivity compared with placebo. This study provides evidence that folic acid improves cardiac and vascular sympathetic baroreceptor sensitivity in hypertensive patients, which suggests an improved vagal control and an enhanced baroreceptor modulation of sympathetic vasomotor tone. Thus, folic acid may represent a novel treatment for prevention of orthostatic dysregulation and/or arrhythmic complications resulting from baroreceptor dysfunction.
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chir et al. (2004) conducted an RCT in Hypertension (n=21). Folic acid vs. Placebo was evaluated on Cardiac and vascular sympathetic baroreceptor sensitivity. A single 5 mg dose of folic acid significantly improved cardiac and vascular sympathetic baroreceptor sensitivity compared with placebo in male patients with hypertension.
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