Low Vitamin B6 Levels May Raise Heart Disease Risk

Previous studies have suggested that low vitamin B-6 status raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases.  Jian Shen, from Tufts University (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues assessed data collected on 1,205 subjects, ages 45 to 75 years, enrolled in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study.  The team found that higher levels of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP), the active form of vitamin B6, lowered the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, as well as levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a marker for oxidative stress.  Further, they found that metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes were also significantly associated with low plasma PLP concentrations .  The researchers conclude that: “Low vitamin B-6 concentrations are associated with inflammation, higher oxidative stress, and metabolic conditions in older Puerto Rican adults. Our data suggest that vitamin B-6 may influence cardiovascular disease risk through mechanisms other than homocysteine and support the notion that nutritional status may influence the health disparities present in this population.”