INFO - Folic acid in general medicine and dermatology

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J Dermatolog Treat. 2007;18(3):138-46.

Folic acid in general medicine and dermatology.

Gisondi P, Fantuzzi F, Malerba M, Girolomoni G.

Department of Biomedical and Surgical Science, Section of Dermatology

and Venereology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Folic acid is a vitamin B essential for the integrity and function of

DNA. Relative deficiency of folic acid may occur in conditions such as

pregnancy and hyperproliferative or chronic inflammatory disorders.

Folic acid supplementation has been proven to be beneficial in the

prevention of neural tube defects and in limiting methotrexate side

effects, and may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Folate is a

critical vitamin in determining plasma homocysteine levels, which in

turn is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The results

of large clinical trials with dietary supplementation of folic acid,

vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 have shown that this homocysteine-lowering

therapy is effective in the secondary prevention of non-fatal strokes,

but had no effect in the prevention of fatal cardiovascular diseases.

Hyperhomocysteinemia has also been reported in age-related

neurological conditions with cognitive impairment (e.g. dementia), and

psychiatric disorders such as depression. Elevated homocysteine levels

are frequent in patients with chronic immune-mediated disorders

including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic

plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, which have in common a

tendency to an accelerated atherosclerosis leading to increased deaths

from cardiovascular events. Folic acid supplementation appears as a

reasonable therapeutic option in patients affected by chronic

inflammatory skin diseases, such as moderate to severe psoriasis; in

particular, those with concomitant hyperhomocysteinemia, low plasma

folate and additional cardiovascular risk factors.

PMID: 17538801

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17538801

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