Lowering plasma homocysteine with vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid.: Effect on lipids concentration in patients with secondary hyperlipoproteinemia type IV, with and without Lovastatina treatment.

The concentration of plasma homocysteine was diminished by the oral use of vitamins B-6 (300 mg/day), B-12 (250 mu g/day) and folic acid (10 mg/day), and the effect was studied in the lipids of patient with hiperlipoproteinemia secondary type IV, during 120 days, in 30 patients, 45 to 70 years old, with myocardial heart attack. They were divided in group A (n=15) without treatment with Lovastatin and group B (n=15) with Lovastatin. Basal homocysteine concentration was 17,4 +/- 1,0 mu mol/L and 16,7 +/- 1,0 mu mol/L for the groups A and B respectively, diminishing 24% at the end of the experimental time, in both groups. Total cholesterol decreased below 220 mg/dl, while the triglycerides diminished 25,4 mg/dl and 27,0 mg/dl in groups A and B respectively, by each mu mol/L of homocysteine catabolissed. Low density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low density (VLDL) diminished significantly (p < 0,005), while the high-density (HDL) increased 1,0 mg/dl in group A and 1,15 mg/dl in group B, for each mu mol/L of homocysteine metabolized, lowering the coronary risk factor in 28,5% group A and 35,9% group B. We concluded that these vitamins decreased plasma homocysteine concentration, promoting the lowering of lipids and lipoprotein concentratation in this type of patients; while Lovastatin doesn't reduce homocysteine, but it had a synergic effect with the vitamins, dicreasing the lipid concentration, in group B.