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SEARCH
Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and Homocysteine
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Trial compared effectiveness of homocysteine reductions with folic acid and vitamin B12 vs. placebo for the reduction of major vascular events and mortality in MI survivors.
Design: randomized, double blind, controlled
Patients: 12,064
Centers: multicenter
Country: United Kingdom
RESULTS: Supplementation of the vitamins reduced homocysteine by a mean of 3.8 mcmol/L (28%). During the 6.7 years of follow-up, major vascular events occurred in 1,537 participants of the supplementation group (n=6,033) vs. 1,493 of participants allocated placebo (n=6,031; RR=1.04; 95% CI, 0.97-1.12). Researchers reported no apparent effects on major coronary events (vitamins, 1,229 vs. placebo, 1,185; RR=1.05; 95% CI, 0.97-1.13); stroke (vitamins, 269, vs. placebo, 265; RR=1.02; 95% CI, 0.86-1.21); or noncoronary revascularizations (vitamins, 178 vs. placebo, 152; RR=1.18; 95% CI, 0.95-1.46). There was also no significant difference in the number of deaths attributed to vascular causes (vitamins, 578 vs. placebo, 559) or nonvascular causes (vitamins, 405 vs. placebo, 392).
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Published in: JAMA. 2010;303:2486-2494.