Mr. Zheng is 76 years old this year. His son works in Shanghai. He usually lives in his hometown in Shandong with his 72-year-old wife Aunt Zhou. The elderly couple are relatively old and have inconvenience in their legs and feet. Household cleaning, cooking and other household chores usually have to be paid to hire someone to do them. When Xiao Qin, a part-time worker, was cleaning the room for the old couple, he accidentally found a bottle of folic acid under the pillow, so he asked tactfully and unkindly, "Aunt Zhou, isn't this folic acid used to prepare for pregnancy? Why are you still taking folic acid?" "Unexpectedly, Aunt Zhou said generously, "It's not what I take, it's what you, Uncle Zheng, take to treat coronary heart disease!"
Xiao Qin was surprised when he heard this. He didn't expect that this was folic acid for pregnancy preparation. It turns out that it can be used to treat coronary heart disease, but at the same time, I was murmuring: I have never heard that folic acid can treat coronary heart disease before, are these two old people deceiving others?
1. Folic acid
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin , also known as vitamin B9. Folic acid can promote the growth and division of cells. Reasonable supplementation of folic acid during pregnancy can reduce anemia in pregnant women and neural tube defects in newborns caused by folic acid deficiency. Therefore, when many people hear about folic acid, they assume that it is a vitamin for pregnancy preparation or for pregnant women, but this is not the case. According to relevant data, one in every five people in my country is folic acid deficient, especially middle-aged and elderly people who also need to focus on supplementing folic acid, otherwise the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, etc. will increase.
In other words, folic acid is not an “exclusive vitamin” for pregnancy preparations and pregnant women. It is necessary for everyone to supplement folic acid in an appropriate amount, especially middle-aged and elderly people. But what is the relationship between folic acid and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases that are high in middle-aged and elderly people?
2. Folic acid and coronary heart disease
Mainly patients with coronary heart disease have atherosclerosis in their coronary arteries . The arterial lumen becomes narrow and the elasticity becomes poor, resulting in slower blood flow, insufficient blood supply and pumping of the heart, and easy arterial plaque. It falls off to form thrombus , causing chest tightness , angina pectoris and myocardial infarction. Folic acid can maintain the balance of prostaglandins and thromboxane in the blood, resist platelet aggregation while promoting nitric oxide synthesis, and play a role in improving vascular endothelium. It can also cooperate with vitamin B6 to promote homocysteine metabolism and protect the body. Vascular endothelium, fight against coronary atherosclerosis.
The reason why 76-year-old Uncle Zheng took folic acid was that he went to the hospital for a follow-up examination six months ago. The doctor found that the plaque on the left circumflex branch of his heart had worsened and suggested that he take other drugs in combination. However, Uncle Zheng had already taken 4 kinds of drugs at the same time. The patient is resistant to combined medication regimens, so the doctor recommends taking folic acid. Uncle Zheng strictly followed the doctor's instructions and took aspirin, rosuvastatin calcium , Xingtong oral liquid and other drugs on time and in the right amount, and he also supplemented folic acid reasonably. When he was reexamined, it showed that his blood vessels were in good condition, and the doctors praised him. Done right.
3. Folic acid and Stroke
Stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease in which the patient's cerebral blood vessels suddenly rupture or are severely blocked, resulting in damage to the brain tissue due to insufficient blood and oxygen supply . This disease is more common in patients with If middle-aged and elderly people with basic diseases such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia are not treated in time, they are more likely to suffer from paralysis or death, seriously threatening the health of middle-aged and elderly people.
The lack of folic acid in the human body will lead to an increase in homocysteine, and high homocysteine blood lipids have been clearly pointed out to be a risk factor for stroke. The "Chinese Multidisciplinary Expert Consensus on Rational Clinical Folic Acid Supplementation" also pointed out that lack of folic acid in middle-aged and elderly people Folic acid supplementation is an important contributor to the high incidence of stroke. Therefore, it is recommended that middle-aged and elderly people reasonably supplement folic acid to reduce the levels of homocysteine and reduce the risk of stroke.
4. Be sure to pay attention to these points when taking folic acid scientifically
1. Adhere to scientifically taking basic medicines
Although folic acid supplementation can reduce the level of homocysteine in the blood and improve vascular endothelial function, it cannot replace aspirin, clopidogrel and statins. and other first-line basic drugs for diseases.Therefore, patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases must take basic medications in combination with folic acid supplements, and do not ignore one or the other at the expense of one or the other.
2. Pay attention to the supplement dosage.
Folic acid supplementation is not always better. Generally, for patients with simple homocystinemia, it is recommended to supplement 0.8mg of folic acid every day. It is also recommended to combine vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and other multivitamins. The effect is better; for patients with coronary heart disease combined with and high homocysteine , it is recommended to take 15~30mg of folic acid daily and review them after about 3 months. If you are a healthy adult, the "Chinese Dietary Nutrition Guidelines" recommends supplementing 0.4~1.0 mg of folic acid daily.
3. Dietary intake is indispensable
In order to reduce dependence on drugs, Pharmacist Wang recommends that everyone actively adjust their diet and obtain folic acid in their daily meals. For example, common foods such as eggs, pumpkins, broccoli , apples, cauliflower, etc. have relatively high folic acid content, such as 586 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams of egg yolk, and 269 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams of pumpkin. Pay attention to eating more of these foods in moderation, which can be used as another way to supplement folic acid. Of course, it should be noted that dietary supplements cannot replace drugs.
