Fact: Vitamin B Therapy Decreases GFR and Increases Vascular Events in Diabetes Patients with Retinopathy

Vitamin B Therapy Decreases GFR and Increases Vascular Events in Diabetes Patients with Retinopathy: The multicenter, double-blind Diabetic Intervention with Vitamins to Improve Nephropathy (DIVINe) study assessed the effects of vitamin B therapy on retinopathy and vascular events in patients with diabetic retinopathy. A total of 238 Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients were randomized to receive folic acid (2.5 mg/day), vitamin B6 (25 mg/day), vitamin B12 (1 mg/day) or placebo. After a mean follow-up of 31.9 months, patients treated with vitamin B reduced radionuclide glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to a greater extent than those on placebo (16.5 vs. 10.7 [1.7] mL/min/1.73 m2). In addition, although plasma total homocysteine decreased with vitamin B, vascular events were more frequent in patients on high doses of vitamin B. Finally, no differences were observed as regards dialysis requirements between treatment arms. House, A.A. et al. JAMA, 2010: 303(16): 1603