Importancia del ácido fólico en la medicina actual / The importance of folic acid in present medicine

ABSTRACT

Lately, folic acid deficiency is gaining a predominant role in the pathogenesis of congenital malformations and cardiovascular diseases in adults. The planning of individual and population preventive strategies for these diseases must consider this deficiency. This paper reviews the anatomical, biochemical and molecular bases of neural tube defects and cardiovascular diseases in adults. In these two frequent diseases, folic acid supplementation has shown a clear cut protective effect