WENBIT - Western Norway B Vitamin Intervention Trial (WENBIT)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00354081 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : July 20, 2006
Last Update Posted : July 12, 2013
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PURPOSE OF STUDY Observational studies have demonstrated that elevated levels of plasma total homocysteine is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the clinical effects of homocysteine lowering treatment with B vitamins during 3-5 years follow-up of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Special attention will be given to complication rates among patients needing subsequent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PCI) or coronary artery by-pass grafting (CABG).
HYPOTHESIS The primary hypothesis of this study is that, among patients with CAD, a daily supplement with B vitamins will reduce the risk for cardiovascular mortality and serious cardiovascular events with at least 20%. The secondary hypothesis of this study is that, among patients with CAD, a daily supplement with B vitamins will reduce the risk for total mortality, coronary events, cerebrovascular events and other cardiovascular events. The hypothesis will be tested for an effect of any of the treatments (folic acid / vitamin B12 or B6), and the effect will be evaluated according to initial total homocysteine levels and B vitamin levels as well as to the change in these levels after 1 and 6 months. The sample size has been calculated to 3088 patients using a two-sided chi-square test with significance 0.05 and at an 80% power level, presumed event rate of 22% over 4 years, and event rate reduction of 20%, adjusted for non-compliance/drop-out of 20%.
STUDY DESIGN This is a controlled, double-blind two-centre trial with 3090 included men and women who underwent coronary angiography at Haukeland University Hospital or Stavanger University Hospital between April 1999 and April 2004. At baseline about 1300 patients underwent PCI and 600 underwent CABG. The patients were randomized into 4 groups in a 2 x 2 factorial design to receive one of the following four treatments: A, folic acid 0.8 mg plus vitamin B12 0.4 mg and vitamin B6 40 mg per day; B, folic acid 0.8 mg plus vitamin B12 0.4 mg per day; C, vitamin B6 40 mg per day; D, placebo. The active drug and the placebo tablets had identical appearance and taste. Treatment was started as soon as the patients were randomized after the coronary angiography procedure. The patients have been undergoing interviews, clinical examination and blood-sampling at baseline, at follow-up after 1 month and 1 year, and at a final study visit. In addition, information on dietary habits was obtained from 2400 patients at baseline. Among 350 patients that have undergone PCI at baseline, a full clinical examination, blood sampling and repeat coronary angiography to assess re-stenosis has been performed about 9 (6-12) months after the PCI procedure. For these patients, angiograms suitable for quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) analysis have been obtained at the baseline and follow-up invasive procedures.
The follow-up was terminated ahead of schedule in October 2005 due to lack of compliance of the participants caused by media reports from the NORVIT study (NCT00266487) on potential increased cancer risk associated by B vitamin supplementation. The patients had then been followed for 1.5 - 5 years.
STUDY END POINTS Primary clinical endpoints during follow-up are all cause death, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, acute hospitalization for unstable angina and non-fatal thromboembolic stroke (infarction). Secondary endpoints are fatal and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (including procedure related myocardial infarction), acute hospitalization for angina, stable angina with angiographic verified progression, myocardial revascularization, fatal and non-fatal thromboembolic stroke.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Coronary Artery Disease Myocardial Infarction Cerebrovascular Stroke | Drug: folic acid, vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) Drug: folic acid, vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) Drug: vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) Drug: placebo | Phase 3 |

Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 3096 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Factorial Assignment |
Masking: | Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | A Randomised Double Blind Study of the Effects of Homocysteine Lowering Therapy on Mortality and Cardiac Events in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography |
Study Start Date : | April 1999 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | June 2007 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | February 2008 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: 1
folic acid (0.8 mg) plus vitamin B12 (0.4 mg) and vitamin B6 (40 mg)
|
Drug: folic acid, vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
folic acid 0.8 mg plus vitamin B12 0.4 mg and vitamin B6 40 mg, in a capsule, taken orally once a day |
Active Comparator: 2
folic acid (0.8 mg) plus vitamin B12 (0.4 mg)
|
Drug: folic acid, vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)
folic acid 0.8 mg plus vitamin B12 0.4 mg, in a capsule, taken orally once a day |
Active Comparator: 3
vitamin B6 (40 mg)
|
Drug: vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
vitamin B6 40 mg, in a capsule, taken orally once a day |
Placebo Comparator: 4
placebo
|
Drug: placebo
placebo, in a capsule, taken orally once a day |
- Composite of all cause death, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, acute hospitalization for unstable angina pectoris, and of non-fatal thromboembolic stroke (infarction) [ Time Frame: During follow-up, 1.5-5 years ]
- Fatal and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, including procedure related myocardial infarction [ Time Frame: During follow-up, 1.5-5 years ]
- Acute hospitalization for angina [ Time Frame: During follow-up, 1.5-5 years ]
- Stable angina with angiographic verified progression [ Time Frame: During follow-up, 1.5-5 years ]
- Myocardial revascularization [ Time Frame: During follow-up, 1.5-5 years ]
- Fatal and non-fatal thromboembolic stroke [ Time Frame: During follow-up, 1.5-5 years ]
- Cancer [ Time Frame: During follow-up, 1.5-5 years ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- adults ≥ 18 years able to give informed consent
- patients prepared to undergo long-term follow-up
- patients with and without significant coronary artery disease (CAD) who have undergone coronary angiography just before inclusion
Exclusion Criteria:
- patients who are not available for follow-up
- patients who have previously participated in this study
- patients with known alcohol abuse or serious mental illness
- patients with known active malignant disease
- patients who have undergone coronary angiography for specific reasons, i.e. assessment for cardiac transplantation, kidney donor, heart donor, diagnostic assessment of cardiomyopathy

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00354081
Norway | |
Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland University Hospital | |
Bergen, Norway, 5021 | |
Department of Cardiology, Stavanger University Hospital | |
Stavanger, Norway, 4011 |
Principal Investigator: | Ottar Nygård, MD, PhD | Haukeland University Hospital |
Other Publications:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | Haukeland University Hospital |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00354081 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
NSD-14154 |
First Posted: | July 20, 2006 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | July 12, 2013 |
Last Verified: | May 2010 |
Coronary Artery Disease Myocardial Infarction Cerebrovascular Stroke Homocysteine |
Folic Acid Vitamin B 12 Vitamin B 6 |
Stroke Coronary Artery Disease Myocardial Ischemia Coronary Disease Myocardial Infarction Infarction Cerebrovascular Disorders Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Vascular Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Ischemia Pathologic Processes Necrosis |
Heart Diseases Arteriosclerosis Arterial Occlusive Diseases Vitamins Folic Acid Hydroxocobalamin Vitamin B 12 Pyridoxine Pyridoxal Vitamin B 6 Vitamin B Complex Micronutrients Physiological Effects of Drugs Hematinics |