Plasma homcysteine, vitamins B and risk for cardiovascular disease

An elevated homocysteine (HCY) levels can be caused by a number of factors, including folate and B-vitamin deficiency, pre-existing atherosclerotic disease, diabetes and various drugs. Epidemiological evidence, as well as data from retrospective and prospective studies, supports an association between elevated HCY levels and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although the major studies that have reported to date show that vitamin supplementation was associated with a decrease in HCY levels, this failed to have any significant effect on cardiovascular risk. Epidemiological studies long ago identified age, gender, smoking, lipids, hypertension and diabetes along with psychological factors, lack of exercise and a low fruit and vegetable diet as cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Among the dietary risk factors, inadequate vitamin intakes have long been suspected to be CVD risk factors. The public health implications of homocysteine as a cardiovascular risk factor are particularly far-reaching, because homocysteine can be lowered effectively, inexpensively and safely by treatment with folic acid and other B vitamins.