Folic Acid Improves Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Children with Type-1 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Diabetic endothelial dysfunction stimulates release of inflammatory factors such as von Willebrand factor (vWF) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and also results in microalbuminuria. Folic acid had shown to improve endothelial dysfunction. Objective: To evaluate the effects of folic acid supplementation on VCAM-1, vWF and microalbuminuria in children with type-1 diabetes mellitus. Methods: Our study was conducted upon 30 children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (aged between 8-15 years). They received oral folic acid in a dose of 5mg daily for 3 months. Blood samples were taken before and after folic acid supplementation to evaluate glycosated hemoglobin (HbA1c), vWF, VCAM-1, and albumin to creatinine ratio (A/C ratio). Results: VCAM-1 and A/C ratio levels were decreased significantly after folic acid administration in the two groups (p<0.001 for each). vWF decreased after folic acid supplementation, but this was of statistical insignificance. On the other hand, HbA1c did not significantly change after folic acid administration (p>0.05). Conclusion: Folic acid improves endothelial function in diabetic children measured by VCAM-1 and A/C ratio. However, it did not significantly decrease vWF which may need longer periods of folic acid administration