Folic Acid and Exercise Hyperemia in Aging

What are the effects of folic acid on exercise-induced increases in blood flow in healthy older adults? Listen as Associate Editor Nancy Kanagy (University of New Mexico School of Medicine) interviews first author Steven Romero (UT Southwestern Medical Center) and content expert Thomas Barstow (Kansas State University) about the clinical translational study by Romero and co-authors investigating the role of folic acid in mitigating some of the profound changes in arterial vasculature and malperfusion of active skeletal muscle with aging. This innovative study is part of the AJP-Heart and Circulatory Physiology Call for Papers on Mining Natural Products for Cardiovascular Benefits. Is folic acid as a dietary supplement beneficial in preserving exercise capacity in older adults? This may bring new meaning to the adage “eat your spinach,” if doing so ameliorates the loss of nitric oxide in aging. Listen and learn more.

 

Steven A. Romero, Daniel Gagnon, Amy N Adams, Gilbert Moralez, Ken Kouda, Manall F Jaffery, Matthew N. Cramer, Craig G. Crandall Folic Acid Ingestion Improves Skeletal Muscle Blood Flow during Graded Handgrip and Plantar Flexion Exercise in Aged Humans Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published June 30, 2017. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00234.2017