By Elizabeth A. Varga, MS; Amy C. Sturm, MS; Caron P. Misita, PharmD; Stephan Moll, MD
From American Heart Association Journals
Author Affiliations
From the Department of Internal Medicine (E.A.V., A.C.S.), Division of Human Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and the Carolina Cardiovascular Biology Center (C.P.M., S.M.), Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
Correspondence to Elizabeth A. Varga, MS, Department of Internal Medicine, 8th Floor, OSU Outpatient Services, 2050 Kenny Rd, Columbus, OH. E-mail Varga-5@medctr.osu.edu
Homocysteine is a chemical in the blood that is produced when an amino acid (a building block of protein) called methionine is broken down in the body. We all have some homocysteine in our blood. Elevated homocysteine levels (also called hyperhomocysteinemia) may cause irritation of the blood vessels. Elevated levels of homocysteine show an increased risk for (1) hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which could eventually result in a heart attack and/or stroke, and (2) blood clots in the veins, referred to as venous thrombosis.
The purpose of this Cardiology Patient Page is to explain the relation between elevated homocysteine levels and blood clots in the arteries and veins; to discuss the causes of elevated homocysteine levels, including common genetic variants in the MTHFR gene (see the “What Do I Need to Know About a Hereditary Predisposition?” section); and to describe ways to monitor and lower homocysteine levels to possibly improve health.
