Low Vitamin B-6 Linked to Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Low levels of vitamin B-6 may contribute to the chronic inflammation involved in cardiovascular disease. Lydia Sakakeeny, from Tufts University (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues studied 2,289 men and women, average age 61 years, enrolled in the Framingham Offspring Study.  The team analyzed plasma concentrations of pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP), a marker of vitamin B-6, and determined an inflammation score for each subject. They found that low levels of pyridoxal-5-phosphate corresponded to a greater overall inflammation score.  Further, the researchers observed that many of the individual inflammatory markers were inversely associated with plasma pyridoxal-5-phosphate, after adjusting for plasma C-reactive protein concentration.  The study authors submit that: "This study, in combination with past findings, further supports our hypothesis that inflammation is associated with a functional deficiency of vitamin B-6.”