Homocysteine

Homocysteine

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is broken down by vitamins B12, B6, and folate to create other important chemicals in the body. When it interacts with the B vitamins, this amino acid is converted into two substances:

1. Methionine: An essential amino acid with antioxidant properties and is necessary for the production of proteins.
2. Cysteine: A nonessential amino acid that has anti-inflammatory properties.

Common Conditions & Disorders that can cause High Homocysteine

The following conditions can lead to high homocysteine levels:

• Deficiencies in vitamins B12, B6, or folate
• Cardiovascular disease
• Homocystinuria (an inherited disease characterized by the inability to produce methionine)

Overall Health Risks of High Homocysteine

If you have more than 50 mcmol/L of homocysteine in your body, it can damage the lining of your arteries. It can also increase your risk of developing blood clots and blood vessel blockages. If this happens, you can develop life-threatening conditions such as:

• Inflammatory conditions [1-8]
• Cardiovascular disease [9-20]
• Stroke [21-35]
• Cognitive dysfunction [36-41]
• Hypertension [42-46]
• Cancer [47-55]
• Diabetes [56-68]
• Metabolic Syndrome [69-74]

Proven Health Risks

High Homocysteine in Association with Pro-inflammatory Markers

Studies suggest that there is a strong link between high homocysteine and inflammatory conditions:

1. In patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), it was found that a higher level of homocysteine is associated with an increased number and severity of coronary artery disease. [1]
2. In ACS patients, homocysteine and pro-inflammatory markers play a role in the development of the disease. [2]
3. In women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who have higher inflammatory markers, homocysteine levels were significantly higher compared to control. [3]
4. In female patients, higher levels of insulin resistance, plasma homocysteine, and changes in serum lipid profile play vital roles in the development of cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory conditions in both obese and healthy patients. [4]
5. In mice, high homocysteine resulted in inflammatory responses in the brain and retina. [5]
6. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, homocysteine levels were higher and associated with RA-related immunological-inflammatory and metabolic laboratory markers. [6]
7. In hemodialysis patients, there was a strong association between homocysteine level, nutrition, and inflammation. [7]
8. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, high homocysteine is associated with other risk factors such as diabetes mellitus (DM), inflammation, and malnutrition. [8]

High Homocysteine and Increased Risk of Heart Disease

Evidence suggests that high homocysteine is associated with damage to the heart structures and increased risk of cardiovascular disease:

1. A study showed that high homocysteine was an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor. [9]
2. A review of studies showed that treating hyperhomocysteinemia (high homocysteine) prevents the development of atherosclerosis (plaque formation in the heart arteries). [10]
3. A study showed that high homocysteine was associated with higher total and cardiovascular disease mortality. [11]
4. In animal subjects, high homocysteine induced heart dysfunction. [12]
5. A study showed that high homocysteine is associated with a higher risk of heart failure in both men and women but seemed to affect women more. [13]
6. A study showed that hyperhomocysteinemia promotes the development of atherosclerosis. [14]
7. In type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, high homocysteine was a risk factor for coronary heart disease events. [15]
8. A study showed that hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with numerous illnesses including cardiovascular diseases. [16]
9. In coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, a higher homocysteine level was associated with severe coronary artery disease. [17]
10. A review of studies showed a strong association between high homocysteine and cardiovascular disease. [18]
11. In congestive heart failure (CHF) patients, high homocysteine was correlated with the severity of the disease. [19]
12. A review of studies showed that an increase in the level of homocysteine also increases the risk of coronary heart disease. [20]

High Homocysteine and Stroke

Evidence shows that high homocysteine is associated with a higher risk of stroke:

1. In Chinese stroke patients, high homocysteine was correlated with both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. [21]
2. Homocysteinemia was found to be a risk factor for ischemic stroke in stroke patients. [22]
3. In female ischemic stroke patients, high homocysteine was associated with a higher risk of death. [23]
4. In acute ischemic stroke patients, high homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of early neurological deterioration. [24]
5. A review of studies showed that Chinese stroke patients had significantly higher homocysteine levels than the controls. [25]
6. In stroke patients, high levels of homocysteine were very common. [26]
7. In stroke patients, high homocysteine is an independent risk factor for recurrent stroke. [27]
8. A study showed that high homocysteine was associated with hypertension and recurrent stroke in acute ischemic stroke patients. [28]
9. In Thai stroke patients, high homocysteine is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. [29]
10. A study suggested that hyperhomoscysteinemia is a risk factor of spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCAD) that could cause ischemic stroke. [30]
11. A study showed that hyperhomoscysteinemia increases the risk of CAD and increased stroke prevalence. [31]
12. In Japanese men and women, high homocysteine was associated with the increased prevalence of stroke. [32]
13. A study showed that high homocysteine was associated with the severe stroke. [33]
14. In ischemic stroke patients, high homocysteine was an independent risk factor for the condition. [34]
15. A study showed that high homocysteine was associated with stroke recurrence. [35]

High Homocysteine and Cognitive Dysfunction

Studies emphasize that there is a connection between high homocysteine and impairment in cognitive function:

1. In a study on elderly patients, it was shown that high homocysteine may promote atrophy (shrinkage) in the brain which could lead to the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia. [36]
2. In middle-aged men, high homocysteine is associated with leukoaraiosis, a condition characterized by impaired blood flow to the small vessels in the brain. [37]
3. A study showed that high homocysteine is an independent risk factor for dementia. [38]
4. In mice, high homocysteine is a metabolic risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. [39]
5. A review of studies showed that elevated homocysteine is associated with cognitive decline, brain atrophy, dementia, and other neurodegenerative conditions. [40]
6. In aging men, high homocysteine predicts a decline in cognitive function. [41]

High Homocysteine Elevates Blood Pressure

A number of studies found that high homocysteine can increase the risk of hypertension:

1. In adult subjects, increased homocysteine resulted in isolated systolic hypertension. [42]
2. In hypertensive patients, it was found that high homocysteine is the cause of blood pressure elevation. [43]
3. In smokers, raised homocysteine due to smoking is associated with increased blood pressure. [44]
4. In adult Chinese, homocysteine was positively associated with elevated blood pressure. [45]
5. In hypertensive diabetic patients, homocysteine levels were found to be elevated. [46]

High Homocysteine as a Risk Factor for Cancer

High homocysteine is also linked with the development of different types of cancer:

1. A study showed that high homocysteine is associated with the development of cancer. [47]
2. A study found elevated homocysteine levels in cancer patients and it was suggested that hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for tumor development. [48]
3. In lung cancer patients, higher total homocysteine was prevalent compared to healthy individuals. [49]
4. A study showed that women with higher homocysteine levels have higher risk of developing breast cancer. [50]
5. A study showed that vitamin B deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia increase the risk of various types of cancer. [51]
6. In women, the risk for invasive cervical cancer was higher in patients with elevated homocysteine levels. [52]
7. A study showed a strong association between high homocysteine and the risk of colorectal cancer. [53]
8. A study showed that colorectal cancer patients have high homocysteine compared to healthy individuals. [54]
9. In male lung cancer patients, high homocysteine levels were found. [55]

High Homocysteine and Diabetes

Several studies found that high homocysteine is prevalent in people with diabetes:

1. A review of studies showed a strong association between higher homocysteine and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). [56]
2. In T2DM patients, high homocysteine was found to be an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease and other diabetic complications. [57]
3. In women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a high homocysteine level was found to be associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes. [58]
4. In T1DM patients, the level of their homocysteine rises as the condition worsens. [59]
5. A study showed that Turkish women with gestational diabetes had higher homocysteine levels than normal pregnant women. [60]
6. A study showed that high homocysteine levels were present in T2DM patients. [61]
7. In diabetic patients, it was shown that hyperhomocysteinemia may be associated with diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that affects the retina of the eyes. [62]
8. In diabetic patients, high homocysteine levels were associated with an increased risk of death from complications. [63]
9. In diabetic patients, high total homocysteine was associated with other diabetes-related conditions. [64]
10. In women with GDM, homocysteine levels were significantly increased. [65]
11. A study found an increased level of homocysteine in T2DM patients. [66]
12. A study showed that hyperhomocysteinemia may promote the development of other chronic diabetic complications. [67]
13. In T2DM patients, high homocysteine was associated with diabetic retinopathy. [68]

High Homocysteine and Metabolic Syndrome

A number of convincing evidence suggests that high homocysteine can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, a multifactorial disease characterized by high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol levels:

1. A study showed that high homocysteine is correlated with metabolic syndrome (MS). [69]
2. In vascular disease patients, it was found that elevated homocysteine was associated with metabolic syndrome. [70]
3. A study showed that patients with metabolic syndrome had higher homocysteine levels aside from other medical conditions. [71]
4. In metabolic syndrome patients, elevated homocysteine was found but didn’t increase the risk for any cardiovascular event. [72]
5. In young subjects, high homocysteine was associated with increased risk for metabolic syndrome. [73]
6. In metabolic syndrome patients, lowering homocysteine level was found to prevent cardiovascular complications. [74]

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