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WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT HOMOCYSTEINE?Studies show that individuals with high levels of homocysteine due to genetic metabolic defects often die of severe vascular disease in their teens or 20s. Even moderately elevated levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Participants in the Physicians Health Study with homocysteine concentrations greater than 15.8 micromol/L had a threefold increase in risk of myocardial infarction compered to men with normal levels, independant of other coronary risk factors. That study was based on a highly selected, low risk and generally well nourished population.Homocysteine can often be normalized with nutritional supplements, particularly folate and Vitamin B6, and increased dietary intake of fruits and vegetables. You would have to consume five servings of fruits and vegetable a day (a minority of Americans) not to need supplementation. Vitamin supplementation at RDA level may be beneficial for the large segment of the US population not meeting dietary goals and in particular older persons and women of childbearing age. Why Homocysteine Becomes Elevated According to a Harvard University theory, "without adequate supplies of vitamin B6 and folate, methionine-an amino acid that is broken down in the body to cystathioninecannot break down properly and instead turns into homocysteine, a very toxic substance. Homocysteine attacks the heart muscle and allows the deposition of cholesterol around the heart muscle. They theorized that excess homocysteine is the actual cause of atherosclerosis and an adequate supply of vitamin B6 would prevent the accumulation of this toxic substance. Elevated homocysteine is a risk factor that can be modified, potentially preventing a fatal heart attack or disabling stroke. Folic acid and vitamin B12 are also important in the remethylation cycle, which helps convert homocystein back to methionine. Vitamin B6 helps in the conversion of homocystein to cystathionine. The choice of doses were vitamin B6, 25mg; vitamin B12, 2 50 mcg and folic acid, 2.5 mg. A combination of those vitamins worked in 95% of all the cases studied. It has actually shown reversal of artherosclerotic plaque by reducing homocystein levels. (The Lancet, January 4, 1998, Dr. J. David Spence: Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis, Research Center, London, Ontario). Recently, Carlson Laboratories in Illinois came up with the homocysteine lowering combination, TRI-B (25mg of B6, 800mcg of Folate and 400 mcg of B12). New research reveals the association of heart attacks and strokes with homocystein level. The higher your blood level of homocystein, the higher your risk of suffering a heart attack. New studies from Harvard show that if you want to dramatically lower your risk of heart disease, you must decrease high levels of homocystein. This discovery partly explains why so many "healthy" men with cholesterol levels between 180 and 200 have heart attacks. There are several types of elevated homocystein levels. The most dramatic, which leads to life threatening vascular abnormalities at a young age, is due to rare (genetic) enzymatic defects at various points in a metabolic pathway. High serum cholesterol levels are an important risk factor for coronary diease, but most patients with (heart attacks) have normal cholesterol levels. New England Journal of Medicine, February, 1995 editorial by Meir J. Stampfer, M.D. JAMA 12/8/1993; Circulation 1 990,81:20046- Hyperhomocysteinemia a common and easily reversible risk factor for occlusive atherosclerosis. --> return to menu / back ... (click) --> return to top of the page (click) |
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