Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27974600›Full record

ReviewNutrition reviews2017

Role of folic acid in nitric oxide bioavailability and vascular endothelial function.

Anna E Stanhewicz, W Larry Kenney

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Nutrition reviews, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 83 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
83citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
9.3field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

83 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 151 citations in OpenAlex.

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  16. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell mitochondrial bioenergetics are related to vascular endothelial function in young and older adults.American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology · 2026
    Article
  17. Folate in autism neurodevelopment.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026
    Review
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article

23 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Anna E StanhewiczA.E. Stanhewicz and W.L. Kenney are with the Noll Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA. axs1056@psu.edu.
W Larry KenneyA.E. Stanhewicz and W.L. Kenney are with the Noll Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
Pennsylvania State University · US

Funding

Microvascular Mechanisms Underlying Persistent Vessel Dysfunction Following PreeclampsiaF32HL129677 · NHLBI · PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE · PI STANHEWICZ, ANNA · 2015 to 2017
$138k
NHLBI NIH HHS F32 HL129677
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Folic acid is a member of the B-vitamin family and is essential for amino acid metabolism. Adequate intake of folic acid is vital for metabolism, cellular homeostasis, and DNA synthesis. Since the initial discovery of folic acid in the 1940s, folate deficiency has been implicated in numerous disease states, primarily those associated with neural tube defects in utero and neurological degeneration later in life. However, in the past decade, epidemiological studies have identified an inverse relation between both folic acid intake and blood folate concentration and cardiovascular health. This association inspired a number of clinical studies that suggested that folic acid supplementation could reverse endothelial dysfunction in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recently, in vitro and in vivo studies have begun to elucidate the mechanism(s) through which folic acid improves vascular endothelial function. These studies, which are the focus of this review, suggest that folic acid and its active metabolite 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate improve nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability by increasing endothelial NO synthase coupling and NO production as well as by directly scavenging superoxide radicals. By improving NO bioavailability, folic acid may protect or improve endothelial function, thereby preventing or reversing the progression of CVD in those with overt disease or elevated CVD risk.

Indexed as

AntioxidantsBiological AvailabilityBiopterinsCardiovascular DiseasesDietary SupplementsEndothelium, VascularFolic AcidFolic Acid DeficiencyHumansNitric OxideNitric Oxide Synthase Type IIIRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicVascular DiseasesAntioxidantsBiopterinsFolic AcidNitric OxideNitric Oxide Synthase Type IIINOS3 protein, humansapropterin5-methyl tetrahydrofolateendothelial functionfolic acidnitric oxide

Identifiers

PMID27974600
PMCPMC5155615
OpenAlexW2563819932

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.