Folic acid supplementation improves vascular function in amenorrheic runners. Clin J Sport Med 2010 May;20(3):205-10
Date
05/07/2010Pubmed ID
20445362DOI
10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181df59f4Scopus ID
2-s2.0-77952002337 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 35 CitationsAbstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if folic acid supplementation improves endothelial vascular function (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation; FMD) in amenorrheic runners.
DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional study.
SETTING: Academic medical center in the Midwest.
PARTICIPANTS: Ten amenorrheic and 10 eumenorrheic women runners from the community volunteered for this study.
INTERVENTIONS: Each participant was treated with folic acid (10 mg/d) for 4 weeks.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Brachial artery FMD was measured before and after folic acid supplementation with standard techniques.
RESULTS: The brachial artery FMD response to reactive hyperemia improved after folic acid supplementation in amenorrheic women (3.0% +/- 2.3% vs. 7.7% +/- 4.5%; P = 0.02). In the eumenorrheic control group, there was no change in brachial artery FMD (6.7% +/- 2.0% vs. 5.9% +/- 2.6%; P = 0.52).
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that brachial artery FMD, an indicator of vascular endothelial function, improves in amenorrheic female runners after short-term supplementation with folic acid.
Author List
Hoch AZ, Lynch SL, Jurva JW, Schimke JE, Gutterman DDAuthor
David Gutterman MD Emeritus Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Academic Medical CentersAdult
Amenorrhea
Blood Flow Velocity
Brachial Artery
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dietary Supplements
Dilatation
Female
Folic Acid
Humans
Midwestern United States
Running
Young Adult
