Heart Disease and Homocysteine

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/homocysteine-risk
How Does Homocysteine Increase Heart Disease Risk?
Do I Need to Have My Homocysteine Level Checked?
Can High Homocysteine Levels Be Prevented?
There has been a lot of talk lately about a compound calledhomocysteine and its
relationship to heart disease.
Homocysteine is a common amino acid (one of the building blocks that make up
proteins) found in the blood and is acquired mostly from eating meat. High levels of
homocysteine are related to the early development of heart and blood vessel disease.
In fact, an elevated level is considered an independent risk factor for heart disease.
High homocysteine is associated with low levels of vitamin B6, B12, and folate and
renal disease. Research has shown, however, that reducing your homocysteine levels
with vitamins does not reduce the risk of heart disease.

How Does Homocysteine Increase Heart Disease Risk?

Doctors aren't sure how or even if homocysteine increases the risk of heart and blood
vessel disease, but there appears to be a link between high homocysteine levels and
damage to the arteries, leading toatherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and the
formation of blood clots.

Do I Need to Have My Homocysteine Level Checked?

Currently, there is no universal recommendation for checking homocysteine levels. The
test is still relatively expensive, it isn't widely available, and it is rarely covered
by insurance.

Can High Homocysteine Levels Be Prevented?

It is reasonable for high-risk patients with high homocysteine levels to increase their
intake of B vitamins. These vitamins can be found in a wide variety of fruits, green, leafy
vegetables, and grain products fortified with folic acid.

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Reviewed by James Beckerman, MD, FACC on February 22, 2014
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