Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
Folate, vitamin B6, and B12 intakes in relation to risk of stroke among men
Ka He1, Anwar Merchant, Eric B Rimm
1Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass, USA. kahe@northwestern.edu
Background And Purpose:
Folate, vitamin B6, and B12 deficiency are related to elevated blood homocysteine level. However, the effects of intakes of these vitamins on risk of stroke are still uncertain. This study examines intakes of folate, vitamin B6, and B12 in relation to risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
Methods:
We enrolled 43 732 men, aged 40 to 75 years, who were free of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes at baseline. Participants were followed from 1986 to 2000. Dietary information was assessed every 4 years using a detailed and validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. The main outcome measures were incident ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.
Results:
A total of 725 incident strokes, including 455 ischemic, 125 hemorrhagic, and 145 unknown types of stroke, were documented during the 14-year follow-up. After adjustment for major lifestyle and dietary factors, intake of folate was associated with a significantly lower risk of ischemic but not hemorrhagic stroke. The multivariate relative risk of ischemic stroke was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.52 to 0.96; P for trend=0.05) for men in the highest quintile of intake compared with those who in the lowest quintile. Intake of vitamin B12, but not B6, was also inversely associated with risk of ischemic stroke.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that increased folate intake is associated with decreased risk of ischemic stroke in men.
Related Concept Videos
Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
Hemorrhagic Stroke l: Introduction
Ischemic Stroke l: Introduction
Hemorrhagic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology
Regulation of Stroke Volume
Preload refers to the degree of stretch on the heart before it contracts. It's analogous to the stretching of a rubber band; the more it's stretched, the more forcefully it snaps back. This concept is encapsulated in the Frank-Starling law of the...
Ischemic Stroke ll: Pathophysiology