PMID- 15871863
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20050922
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 0939-4753 (Print)
IS  - 0939-4753 (Linking)
VI  - 15
IP  - 2
DP  - 2005 Apr
TI  - Is homocysteine important as risk factor for coronary heart disease?
PG  - 140-7
AB  - AIM: Homocysteine (Hcy), a sulfur-containing amino acid product of methionine 
      metabolism, may play an important role in the development of cardiovascular 
      disease. In this paper we review available knowledge on the pathways leading to 
      synthesis and degradation of Hcy, as well as on the genetic and environmental 
      factors affecting its plasma levels, focussing on its potential role in the 
      development of coronary heart disease. DATA SYNTHESIS: Hyperhomocysteinemia 
      (HHcy) is determined by genetic and environmental factors and represents a 
      modifiable cardiovascular risk factor since vitamin supplementation has been 
      shown to effectively lower plasma homocysteine levels. While case-control and 
      cross-sectional studies consistently showed an association of HHcy with 
      cardiovascular disease, prospective studies have given conflicting results. Thus, 
      the role of HHcy in the development of coronary heart disease is still under 
      debate. Furthermore, it remains unclear which patients should be screened for 
      HHcy and treated to correct HHcy. CONCLUSIONS: Available information collectively 
      suggests that although HHcy can be regarded as a minor risk factor for coronary 
      heart disease, it interacts with other risk factors in triggering new events in 
      patients with known CAD. Thus, the treatment of mild HHcy with folate 
      supplementation is appropriate in particular in high risk patients or patients 
      with established CAD who do not present with the "traditional" risk factors.
FAU - Cesari, Maurizio
AU  - Cesari M
AD  - Department of Clinical & Experimental Medicine, Clinica Medica 4, University of 
      Padova, Padova, Italy. mcesari@hotmail.com
FAU - Rossi, Gian Paolo
AU  - Rossi GP
FAU - Sticchi, Daniele
AU  - Sticchi D
FAU - Pessina, Achille C
AU  - Pessina AC
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
DEP - 20050414
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis
JT  - Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD
JID - 9111474
RN  - 0LVT1QZ0BA (Homocysteine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Aging
MH  - *Coronary Disease/etiology
MH  - Female
MH  - *Homocysteine/metabolism
MH  - Humans
MH  - Hyperhomocysteinemia/complications/etiology/genetics
MH  - Male
MH  - Prospective Studies
MH  - Risk Factors
MH  - Sex Characteristics
RF  - 68
EDAT- 2005/05/06 09:00
MHDA- 2005/09/24 09:00
CRDT- 2005/05/06 09:00
PHST- 2003/12/29 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2004/04/20 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2005/05/06 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/09/24 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2005/05/06 09:00 [entrez]
AID - S0939-4753(05)00032-3 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.numecd.2004.04.002 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2005 Apr;15(2):140-7. doi: 
      10.1016/j.numecd.2004.04.002. Epub 2005 Apr 14.