Vitamin B-12, one of the eight essential B vitamins, plays a role in neurological and cardiovascular health. Deficiency of this vitamin, along with vitamins B-6 and folate, may increase your risk of aneurysm leading to heart disease or stroke. Various factors contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases, including heredity, age and lifestyle habits. However, substantial evidence links vitamin B-12 deficiency to increased risk and research is ongoing to pinpoint specific mechanisms of action.
About Aneurysm
The human body is packed with networks of arteries, or blood vessels, that supply oxygen-rich blood to your organs. The walls of your arteries are thick and resilient to withstand the pressure of blood constantly flowing through them. When the arteries weaken, the force of blood pushing against the walls can result in a balloon-like bulge, or aneurysm. The aneurysm can grow over time and eventually rupture or dissect. A rupture results in internal bleeding, and dissection is when one or more layers of the artery walls split and bleeds into the layers.
Aneurysm Locations
Aneurysm is serious and often life-threatening. You can get an aneurysm in the aorta, brain and peripheral cardiovascular system. The aorta is the main artery carrying blood from the heart, and an aneurysm in this location impacts your abdominal and chest area. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the majority of aneurysms occur in the aorta. About 13,000 Americans die each year from this form of aneurysm. Cerebral aneurysm impacts the blood vessels in your brain, and rupture leads to stroke or death. Peripheral aneurysm is less likely to cause fatal results and generally occurs in the peripheral arteries going to the legs, groin or neck.
Homocysteine, Artery Damage, Aneurysm and B-12
Homocysteine, an organic amino acid compound of cysteine, is a breakdown product used in the biosynthesis of methionine, which is important for building new proteins in your body. Consistently elevated levels of homocysteine in the bloodstream contributes to weakening of the arteries by increasing blood clots. According to Harvard Health Publications, arterial damage occurs when insufficient levels of vitamin B-12, B-6 and folate exist in your body to aid in the conversion process of homocysteine to methionine. Weakened arteries increase the risk of aneurysm.
Research Findings
High levels of homocysteine are associated with a host of cardiovascular complications, including heart attack, stroke, hypertension and aneurysm. A 2004 study published in the "European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery" investigated the relationship between homocysteine levels, vitamins B-12 and folate, and risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm. The study confirmed that subjects with aneurysm risk had high plasma homocysteine but low levels of vitamin B-12, therefore warranting vitamin supplementation to reduce vascular disease progression. Conversely, a 2006 study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" concluded that combination supplement therapy of vitamins B-12, B-6 and folic acid had no beneficial effect on reducing vascular events in high-risk study subjects with existing vascular disease.
Summary
Vitamin B-12 is important for daily functions, and you can get your daily intake of 2.4 mcg from foods like fish, chicken, dairy, fortified breakfast cereals or grains. This vitamin may help protect you from aneurysm, especially with a well-balanced diet including the other B vitamins. However, research is ongoing to determine the effectiveness of supplemental vitamin B-12 in preventing cardiovascular disease and associated aneurysm. Consult your physician for recommendations in preventing or managing cardiovascular complications.
References
- "European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery"; Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Its Correlation to Plasma Homocysteine and Vitamins; A.A. Warsi et al.; January 2004
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; What is Aneurysm?; April 2011
- FamilyDoctor.org; Homocysteine; July 2010
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Homocysteine Lowering With Folic Acid and B Vitamins in Vascular Disease; HOPE 2 Investigators; 2006
- Harvard School of Public Health: Three of the B Vitamins; Folate, Vitamin B-6 and Vitamin B-12
- "Stroke"; Letters to the Editor; Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations in Cerebrovascular Disease; Klaus Fassbender, M.D. et al.; 1999
