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Folic Acid Supplementation Improves Vascular Function in Professional Dancers With Endothelial Dysfunction
Author(s) -
Hoch Anne Z.,
Papanek Paula,
Szabo Aniko,
Widlansky Michael E.,
Gutterman David D.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
pmandr
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.617
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1934-1563
pISSN - 1934-1482
DOI - 10.1016/j.pmrj.2011.02.014
Subject(s) - brachial artery , medicine , endothelial dysfunction , folic acid supplementation , vasodilation , physical therapy , endothelium , folic acid , surgery , blood pressure
Objective To determine if folic acid supplementation improves vascular function (brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation [FMD]) in professional dancers with known endothelial dysfunction. Design Prospective cross‐sectional study. Setting Academic institution in the Midwestern United States. Subjects Twenty‐two professional ballet dancers volunteered for this study. Main Outcome Measures Subjects completed a 3‐day food record to determine caloric and micronutrient intake. Menstrual status was determined by interview and questionnaire. Endothelial function was determined as flow‐induced vasodilation measured by high‐frequency ultrasound of the brachial artery. A change in brachial diameter of <5% to hyperemic flow stimulus was defined a priori as endothelial dysfunction. Subjects with abnormal FMD took 10 mg of folic acid daily for 4 weeks, and FMD testing was then repeated. Serum whole blood was measured for folic acid levels before and after supplementation. Results Sixty‐four percent of dancers (n = 14) had abnormal brachial artery FMD (<5%) (mean ± standard deviation, 2.9% ± 1.5%). After 4 weeks of folic acid supplementation (10 mg/day), FMD improved in all the subjects (7.1% ± 2.3%; P < .0001). Conclusions This study reveals that vascular endothelial function improves in dancers after supplementation with folic acid (10 mg/day) for at least 4 weeks. This finding may have clinically important implications for future cardiovascular disease risk prevention.