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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 een a lot o! talk lately ao"t a com#o"nd calledhomocysteineand its

relationshi# to heart disease$

Homocysteine is a common amino acid %one o! the "ilding locks that make "#

#roteins& !o"nd in the loodand is ac'"ired mostly !rom eating meat$ High levels o!

homocysteine are related to the early develo#ment o! heartand loodvessel disease$

In !act( an elevated level is considered an inde#endent risk !actor !orheart disease$

High homocysteine is associated with low levels o! vitamin B)( B*+( and !olate andrenal disease$ Research has shown( however( that red"cing yo"r homocysteine levels

with vitaminsdoes not red"ce the risk o! heart disease$

How Does Homocysteine Increase Heart Disease Risk?

Doctors aren,t s"re how or even i! homocysteine increases the risk o! heart and lood

vessel disease( "t there a##ears to e a link etween high homocysteine levels and

damage to the arteries( leading toatherosclerosis%hardening o! the arteries& and the

!ormation o! lood clots$

Do I Need to Have My Homocysteine Level Checked?

C"rrently( there is no "niversal recommendation !or checking homocysteine levels$ The

test is still relatively e-#ensive( it isn,t widely availale( and it is rarely covered

y ins"rance$

Can High Homocysteine Levels Be Prevented?

It is reasonale !or high.risk #atients with high homocysteine levels to increase their

intake o! B vitamins$ These vitamins can e !o"nd in a wide variety o! !r"its( green( lea!yvegetales( and grain #rod"cts !orti!ied with !olic acid$

Top Picks Heart Disease/ 0hat 1re the Medical Costs?

2"i3/ Test 4o"r Cholesterol 5marts

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*6 Ti#s !or Living 0ith 1trial 7irillation

N"mer * 8iller o! 0omen

How to 0reck 4o"r Heart

Heart Tests 4o"r Doctor May Recommend

0eMD Medical Re!erence

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Reviewed y 9ames Beckerman( MD( 71CCon 7er"ary ++( +6*:; +6*: 0eMD( LLC$ 1ll rights reserved$

http://www.webmd.com/heart/atrial-fibrillation-stroke-11/slideshow-living-with-a-fibhttp://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/video/heart-disease-kills-womenhttp://www.webmd.com/how-wreck-hearthttp://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/heart-tests-doctor-may-recommendhttp://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/homocysteine-riskhttp://www.webmd.com/beckerman-jameshttp://www.webmd.com/heart/atrial-fibrillation-stroke-11/slideshow-living-with-a-fibhttp://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/video/heart-disease-kills-womenhttp://www.webmd.com/how-wreck-hearthttp://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/heart-tests-doctor-may-recommendhttp://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/homocysteine-riskhttp://www.webmd.com/beckerman-james