PMID- 12389706
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20030711
LR  - 20051116
IS  - 1433-6510 (Print)
IS  - 1433-6510 (Linking)
VI  - 48
IP  - 9-10
DP  - 2002
TI  - Hyperhomocysteinemia: a new risk factor for degenerative diseases.
PG  - 471-81
AB  - Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) is a consequence of disturbed methionine metabolism. 
      It results from enzyme and/or vitamin deficiency. Epidemiological and clinical 
      studies have proven HHCY to be an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic 
      cardiovascular diseases, stroke, peripheral arterial occlusive disease and venous 
      thrombosis. Trials in progress may clarify the "causality" of high homocysteine 
      (HCY) concentrations and will assess the value of HCY lowering therapy. HHCY is 
      also seen as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases such as cognitive 
      impairment, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and also for depression. There is a 
      high prevalence of HHCY as a syndrome of vitamin shortage in elderly subjects, 
      which strongly increases with advancing age. Elderly people have a high frequency 
      of vitamin B12 deficiency which is more reliably diagnosed by measurement of 
      serum methylmalonic acid and holotranscobalamin II, the metabolically active B12 
      fraction, than by total serum vitamin B12. Subjects who follow a strict 
      vegetarian diet also have a high prevalence of HHCY caused by vitamin B12 
      deficiency. For prevention of neurological damages an early diagnosis of vitamin 
      B12 deficiency is important. Furthermore, HHCY is a factor in the pathogenesis of 
      neural tube defects and preeclampsia. HCY should be measured in patients with a 
      history of atherothrombotic vessel diseases, in patients with diabetes or 
      hyperlipidemia, in renal patients, in adipose subjects, in elderly people, in 
      vegetarians, in postmenopausal women, and in early pregnancy.
FAU - Herrmann, Wolfgang
AU  - Herrmann W
AD  - Department of Clinical Chemistry, Saarland Medical School, Homburg/Saar, Germany. 
      kchwher@uniklinik-saarland.de
FAU - Knapp, Jean-Pierre
AU  - Knapp JP
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
PL  - Germany
TA  - Clin Lab
JT  - Clinical laboratory
JID - 9705611
SB  - IM
MH  - Brain Diseases/etiology
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Hyperhomocysteinemia/*complications/etiology
MH  - Male
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - Risk Factors
MH  - Vascular Diseases/etiology
MH  - Vitamin B 12 Deficiency/complications/diagnosis
RF  - 118
EDAT- 2002/10/23 04:00
MHDA- 2003/07/12 05:00
CRDT- 2002/10/23 04:00
PHST- 2002/10/23 04:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2003/07/12 05:00 [medline]
PHST- 2002/10/23 04:00 [entrez]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Clin Lab. 2002;48(9-10):471-81.