JAMA: folic acid and vitamin B12 treatment of cancer will increase the risk of death

November 18, according to the Journal on a JAMA study revealed that Norway is a food does not folic acid supplementation country. Cardiac patients in the country if we accept the folic acid and vitamin B12 treatment, their risk of cancer and the risk of dying for any reason, there will be related to increase.

According to the article's background information, most of the epidemiological investigation found that folic acid (a B vitamin) intake and the risk of colorectal cancer exists between the inverse correlation, although this correlation is in other cancers inconsistent or lacking of. The author wrote: "Laboratory evidence suggests that folic acid deficiency can promote the initial stages of cancer, while high doses of folic acid may promote the growth of cancer cells. Since 1998, many countries, including the United States, began to in the flour and cereal products to add folic acid to reduce birth occurs when the risk of neural tube defects. "" Recently, people have the safety of folic acid, in particular concerns about their cancer risk began to appear. "

Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway's Marta Ebbing, MD and his colleagues in Norway 2 in ischemic heart disease patients has been conducted to reduce homocysteine test results are analyzed. In the trial, those who were assigned to receive folic acid treatment group occurred in the incidence of cancer were not statistically significant increase.

This two randomized, there are placebo-controlled clinical trials included 6837 patients with ischemic heart disease, who between 1998 and 2005 accepted the B vitamins or a placebo treatment. Follow-up of these patients continued into 2007, the 12-month 31. These patients were randomly assigned to receive oral folic acid (0.8 mg / day) plus vitamin Ye B12 (0.4 mg / day) plus vitamin B6 (40 mg / day) [n = 1708]; folic acid (0.8 mg / day) plus vitamin B12 ( 0.4 mg / day) [n = 1703]; just taking vitamin B6 (40 mg / day) [n = 1705]; or placebo [n = 1721]. During treatment in the study, median (midpoint) concentrations of serum folate in participants taking folic acid increased by six times.

The researchers found that, after a median of 39 months of treatment and another 38 months of follow-up observations after the test, in the folic acid plus vitamin B12 did not accept people who have 288 people (8.4%) were diagnosed with cancer , while in the received folic acid and vitamin B12 therapy who was diagnosed with cancer who have 341 people (10.0%), cancer risk, the rate of increase of 21%. In the absence of receiving folic acid plus vitamin B12 in the treatment of persons, a total of 100 patients died of cancer (2.9%), while receiving folic acid plus vitamin B12 in the treatment of persons, a total of 136 patients died of cancer (4.0%), the risk of dying from cancer, an increase of 38%. In the absence of receiving folic acid plus vitamin B12 in the treatment of persons, a total of 16.1% of patients die from any cause, and receiving folic acid plus vitamin B12 in the treatment of persons, a total of 13.8% of patients die from any cause.

The author writes: "These results are mainly affected by these received folic acid plus vitamin B12 of the participants the impact of increased rates of lung cancer. Vitamin B6 treatment and any other obvious effects are not relevant."

"Our results need to be confirmed in other populations. But it stressed the people from the food supplements and fortified food intake of folic acid in a wide range of monitoring their safety after the appeal." (