According to a study published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association, folic acid could decrease the risk of stroke, Frontline Desk reported.
Around 795,000 people in the United States suffer from a stroke every year. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for stroke. Around eight in ten first-time strokes are among people with high blood pressure.
In the study, the researchers recruited 20,702 people from China between the age 45 and 75 years. All participants were suffering from high blood pressure; however, they had no history of a coronary failure or a stroke.
Researchers randomly gave half of the participants a single pill combination containing folic acid and enalapril and the other half a tablet with enalapril alone.
They followed the participants for four and a half years. Participants who received a single pill combination containing folic acid and enalapril showed a significant risk reduction for first stroke compared to their counterparts who received enalapril alone.
During the study, about 2.7 percent of the participants in the enalapril-folic acid group suffered first stroke as compared to 3.4 percent of the participants in the enalapril group. This amounts to a 21 percent relative risk reduction and 0.7 percent absolute risk reduction.
In addition, participants who belonged to the enalapril-folic acid group had reduced risk of first ischemic stroke. The study concluded that the combined use of folic acid and an anti-hypertensive drug enalapril is effective in decreasing the risk of first stroke.
Folate is also found naturally in a wide variety of foods. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of folate, Medical Daily reported.