People who took folic acid supplements along with a medication for high blood pressure called enalapril, were less likely to have a stroke than people who took the drug alone, researchers said.
The study was based on more than 20,000 adults in China with high blood pressure but no history of stroke or heart attack, and was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
After a midpoint of 4.5 years of study, 2.7 per cent of those in the enalapril-folic acid group had a stroke, compared to 3.4 per cent in the enalapril group.
Researchers did not see any difference between the two when it came to the risk of major hemorrhagic stroke, heart attack, death, or complications.
The study, known as the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial, "is the first large-scale randomised trial to test the hypothesis using individual measures of baseline folate levels", researchers said.
"The beneficial effect appeared to be more pronounced in participants with lower folate levels."
Folic acid is found naturally in leafy greens, fruits, nuts, beans and peas.
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