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Effect of riboflavin supplementation on plasma homocysteine in elderly people with low riboflavin status

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 56, pages 850–856 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of riboflavin supplementation on plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in healthy elderly people with sub-optimal riboflavin status.

Design: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled riboflavin supplementation trial.

Setting: Community based study in Northern Ireland.

Subjects: From a screening sample of 101 healthy elderly people, 52 had sub-optimal riboflavin status (erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient, EGRAC≥1.20) and were invited to participate in the study.

Intervention: The intervention had two parts. Part 1 was a 12 week randomized double blind, placebo-controlled intervention with riboflavin (1.6 mg/day). Following completion of part 1, the placebo group went on to part 2 of the study which involved supplementation with folic acid (400 µg/day) for 6 weeks followed by folic acid and riboflavin (1.6 mg/day) for a further 12 weeks, with a 16 week washout period post-supplementation. The purpose of part 2 was: (a) to address the possibility that homocysteine-lowering in response to riboflavin may be obscured by a much greater effect of folate, and that, once folate status was optimized, a dependence of homocysteine on riboflavin might emerge; and (b) to demonstrate that these subjects had homocysteine concentrations which could be lowered by nutritional intervention.

Results: Although riboflavin supplementation significantly improved riboflavin status in both parts 1 and 2 of the study (P<0.001 for each), tHcy concentrations were unaffected (P=0.719). In contrast, folic acid supplementation (study part 2) resulted in a homocysteine lowering of 19.6% (P=0.001).

Conclusion: Despite the metabolic dependency of tHcy on riboflavin, it did not prove to be an effective homocysteine-lowering agent, even in the face of sub-optimal riboflavin status.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge Clonmel Healthcare, Tipperary, Ireland for providing us with the folic acid supplements, and the volunteers who kindly participated in the study. This study was supported by EU Project BMH 4983549 and Abbott Germany.

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Author notes

  1. MC McKinley: Guarantor: Professor H McNulty.

  2. H McNulty, J McPartlin, JJ Strain and JM Scott: Contributors: MMcK participated in hypothesis formulation and study design, was responsible for study execution, sample collection, laboratory analysis, data analysis, data interpretation and did the main writing of the paper. HMcN was involved in formulating the hypothesis and participated in study design, data analysis, data interpretation and writing the paper. JMcP participated in laboratory analysis of samples and writing the paper, JJS and JMS participated in hypothesis formulation, study design and writing the paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland

    MC McKinley, H McNulty & JJ Strain

  2. Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

    J McPartlin

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Trinity College, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

    JM Scott

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  1. MC McKinley
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Correspondence to H McNulty.

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McKinley, M., McNulty, H., McPartlin, J. et al. Effect of riboflavin supplementation on plasma homocysteine in elderly people with low riboflavin status. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, 850–856 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601402

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