Homocysteine blood test analyses the levels of amino acid homocysteine in the blood. A homocysteine blood test may be conducted for determining the risks of having heart diseases, strokes and peripheral arterial diseases.
Homocysteine is a type of amino acid normally found in small amounts in the blood. However, high levels of homocysteine in the blood may promote plaque buildup in blood vessels that may, over time, lead to serious cardiovascular problems.
High levels of homocysteine in the blood may be associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and subsequent coronary artery disease. Elevated homocysteine levels may also damage the lining of blood vessels, which may lead to the formation of blood clots. These, in turn, may increase a person's risk of stroke, heart attack (myocardial infarction), and pulmonary embolism. Also, increased homocysteine levels may promote the formation of blood clots in the deep veins of the legs (called deep venous thrombosis, or DVT). The increased risk, or odds ratio (OR), for coronary artery disease in patients with increase homocysteine levels was estimated to be 1.7. The OR for stroke was estimated to be 2.5 and the OR for peripheral vascular disease was estimated to be 6.8.
Blood levels of homocysteine may increase if a person's diet is deficient in certain B vitamins (folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12). High levels of homocysteine in the blood can be lowered with adequate dietary intake of these B vitamins. For example, adequate intake of grain products enriched with folic acid has helped lower homocysteine levels in some people. However, the exact amount of B vitamins needed to prevent high homocysteine levels in the blood is not known.
In addition to dietary deficiency of B vitamins, there are other factors that may increase a person's blood homocysteine level, including:
•A family history of elevated blood homocysteine.
•Age. Blood homocysteine levels rise with age in both men and women.
•Gender. Blood homocysteine levels are higher in men than in women. The reason for this is not totally understood but may be related to differences in muscle mass, hormones, or kidney function.
•Kidney disease. The level of homocysteine he blood increases in kidney disease because the kidneys do not properly filter homocysteine from the blood.
•Medication use. Certain medications increase blood homocysteine levels. These medications include anticonvulsants (such as phenytoin), methotrexate, cyclosporine, levodopa, theophylline, niacin, and cholestyramine.
•Homocystinuria.
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