Vitamin B May Do More Harm Than Good In Heart Attack Patients

Researchers from Norway have found that treating patients who have had a heart attack with high doses of B vitamins does not lower the risk of getting another heart attack or stroke. Contrary to expectations, B vitamins may do more harm than good. These surprising data were presented at the Hot Line Session II of the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Stockholm on 5th September 2005. NORVIT, the Norwegian Vitamin Trial, is the first trial to examine whether high doses of B vitamins prevent recurrent heart disease in patients who have had a myocardial infarction. A total of 3749 patients were recruited from 35 Norwegian hospitals. The patients were assigned to take B vitamins or placebo for more than three years in addition to standard treatments after a heart attack.