Clinical Trials Directory

Trials / Completed

CompletedNCT00126347

Effect of Betaine, Serine and Folic Acid on Vascular Function in Healthy Volunteers

Effect of Lowering of Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations After an Oral Methionine Load on Vascular Function in Healthy Volunteers

Status
Completed
Phase
N/A
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40 (planned)
Sponsor
Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences · Academic / Other
Sex
All
Age
50 Years – 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether reducing the increase in plasma homocysteine concentrations following an oral methionine load affects vascular function in healthy volunteers, irrespective of the homocysteine-lowering agent.

Detailed description

A high plasma homocysteine is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death. However, it remains uncertain whether homocysteine per se, low status of folate, or other factors related to methionine metabolism are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have shown that a high concentration of homocysteine in blood is related to an impaired vascular function in the arteries, an indicator of cardiovascular disease risk. Virtually all intervention trials used folic acid as a homocysteine-lowering agent, which may however affect vascular function through mechanisms not related to homocysteine. The researchers investigated whether reduction in homocysteine concentrations following a methionine load, via supplementation with serine, betaine or folic acid improves vascular function in healthy volunteers, in order to distinguish between effects of folic acid and of homocysteine-lowering per se. Comparison: The effects of supplementation with serine, folic acid and betaine (all together with an oral methionine load) were compared to the effects of a placebo (together with a methionine load) on plasma homocysteine concentrations and on vascular function following methionine loading in healthy volunteers.

Conditions

Interventions

TypeNameDescription
PROCEDUREsupplementation with betaine, serine, and folic acid

Timeline

Start date
2002-08-01
Completion
2003-07-01
First posted
2005-08-03
Last updated
2005-08-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Netherlands

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT00126347. Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement.