High Folic Acid Intake Is Linked To Greater COVID-19 Infection And Fatality Rates

Sep, 2022 - By WMR

The study team discovered that when folic acid and methotrexate were administered combined, methotrexate, an antifolate medication, lessened the detrimental effects of folic acid on COVID-19.

A synthetic version of vitamin B9, or folate, is known as folic acid. Birth abnormalities, heart disease, stroke, and other health issues are all linked to low amounts of vitamin B9. For a number of ailments, such as high-risk pregnancies, persons using anti-seizure and for sickle cell disease folic acid is recommended. Moreover, individuals receiving methotrexate may be given folic acid to assist reduce some side effects. Certain autoimmune illnesses and forms of cancer are both treated with methotrexate. The medication is an "antifolate," interfering with folate, which cancer cells need for growth.

In the UK, COVID-19 was 1.5 times more likely to be contracted by those who had folic acid prescriptions. Furthermore, they had a 2.6-fold increased risk of dying from COVID-19 in comparison to the control group. The results of a recent study conducted by UC Davis Health and the University of Alabama at Birmingham support those conclusions. In the journal BMJ Open, the study was published on August,2022.

The study team examined a sizable sample of patients registered in the UK BioBank, a significant biomedical database including health data on 500,000 individuals. They investigated whether patient-prescribed high doses of folic acid, which have five times the permissible upper limit for a range of medically acceptable causes were associated with COVID-19 diagnosis and death. Researchers discovered that those who had folic acid treatment had a considerably higher risk of contracting and passing away from COVID-19. The implications of these findings may be important for patients who take extra folate to prevent adverse effects from other medicinal therapies.

The serum folate levels of the subjects were not examined in the study. The research team observe that additional research is required to examine the effects of folic acid consumption and folate status on vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection and its deadly consequences.