Homocysteine Revisited - High Cholesterol Message Board

pcovers · 04-23-2003, 04:22 PM

All this talk and worry over cholesterol... I hope you're taking your folic acid.

The relationship between elevated homocysteine levels and CAD was first identified in 1985 when the New England Journal of Medicine published a study in which investigators reported that 30% of patients with prematureCAD had high levels of homocyst(e)ine. More recently, Norwegian investigators showed that as homocyst(e)ine levels increase from 5 mol/L to 20 mol/L, the risk of CAD increases 5-fold. This evidence suggests that elevated homocyst(e)ine may be a more important risk factor for CAD than either smoking or elevated cholesterol levels, indicated Dr. Spence.

john73 · 04-25-2003, 01:01 PM

Very good info! I hope more research will help prevent heart disease in the 50% or more people who have normal cholesterol levels.

Rebeckah · 04-28-2003, 09:44 PM

This is a test reply to see if I can get through...

Rebeckah · 04-28-2003, 09:49 PM

Thank you pcovers. I went to the cardiologist today and come back frustrated.....I requested a homocysteine level to be done and got the 'song and dance' with....."there is not enough research on it and what would one do if it does come back high?" Well anyhow, the cardiologist agreed to the test but I had no answer to him about what I WOULD do if the level is high. I am going to start a new topic with the other information I have and hope to get some good advise from the knowledgeable folks here. Thanks again for your post, Rebeckah

CobaltBlue · 04-29-2003, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rebeckah:
Well anyhow, the cardiologist agreed to the test but I had no answer to him about what I WOULD do if the level is high.

homocysteine --> 1000 ug Folic acid
hs-CRP --> 325 mg Aspirin*

*There is also a strong correlation of elevated hs-CRP and CAD. Aspirin is recommended for many benefits, and among them is the decrease in arterial inflammation. If not mistaken, statins also tend to lower hs-CRP, but I would need to look that up to confirm it.

Also, keep in mind that you don't want to just start taking folic acid without also increasing your other B vitamins (esp. B6 and B12).

My cardiologist told me that I should start taking folic acid even before the next bloodwork came back (lipoprofile with hs-CRP, homocysteine, lp(a), particle size...) because of my CHD and the minimal traditional risk factors that I had (cholesterol total <135 mg/dL) at the time that my LAD became occluded.