Vitamin B6 and Heart Health

BOSTONData from a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition vitamin B6 may influence cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk through mechanisms other than homocysteine, as low vitamin B6 concentrations were associated with inflammation, higher oxidative stress and metabolic conditions in older Puerto Rican adults (2010;91:381-90). Researchers measured plasma pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and an oxidative DNA damage marker, urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in Puerto Rican adults who were living in Massachusetts.

There was a strong dose-response relation of plasma PLP concentration with plasma CRP. Increasing quartiles of PLP were significantly associated with lower CRP concentrations and with lower urinary 8-OHdG concentrations after multivariate adjustment. These negative associations persisted after plasma homocysteine was controlled for. Plasma PLP concentrations were significantly correlated with plasma fasting glucose, glycated hemoglobin and homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function. Metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes were also significantly associated with low plasma PLP concentrations.