57d50aa9_Health_Information_Library__Why
[Used for] 1 Star Sickle Cell Anemia Refer to label instructions [Why] 
Vitamin B6 has been shown to have anti-sickling effects on the red blood cells. It can also correct vitamin B6 deficiency, which is common in people with sickle cell anemia. Preliminary research has found that patients with sickle cell anemia are more likely to have elevated blood levels of homocysteine compared to healthy people.246 , 247 Elevated homocysteine is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease .248 In particular, high levels of homocysteine in sickle cell anemia patients have been associated with a higher incidence of stroke .249 Deficiencies of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid occur more frequently in people with sickle cell anemia than in others250 , 251 , 252 and are a cause of high homocysteine levels.253 A controlled trial found homocysteine levels were reduced 53% in children with sickle cell anemia receiving a 2-4 mg supplement of folic acid per day, depending on age, but vitamin B6 or B12 had no effect on homocysteine levels.254 A double-blind trial of children with sickle cell anemia found that children given 5 mg of folic acid per day had less painful swelling of the hands and feet compared with those receiving placebo, but blood abnormalities and impaired growth rate associated with sickle cell anemia were not improved.255 In the treatment of sickle cell anemia, folic acid is typically supplemented in amounts of 1,000 mcg daily.256 Anyone taking this amount of folic acid should have vitamin B12 status assessed by a healthcare professional. In test tube studies, vitamin B6 has been shown to have anti-sickling effects on the red blood cells of people with sickle cell anemia.257 , 258 Vitamin B6 deficiency has been reported in some research to be more common in people with sickle cell anemia than in healthy people.259 , 260 In a controlled trial, five sickle cell anemia patients with evidence of vitamin B6 deficiency were given 50 mg of vitamin B6 twice daily. The deficiency was reversed with this supplement, but improvement in anemia was slight and considered insignificant.261 Therefore, evidence in support of vitamin B6 supplementation for people with sickle cell anemia remains weak.
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