It has been known for about time th...

It has been known for about time that high levels of homocysteine, a natural amino acid metabolite of methionine, an essential amino acid, are related to hardening of the arteries, visitation heart attacks and mental retardation, unles sufficient amounts of several vitamins are not away to neutralize the substance.

With the help of vitamin B6 vitamin B12 and folic acid, another B vitamin, homocysteine is re-createed into harmless cystathionine and vacuumed from the blood

Using data gleaned from the Framingham Heart application of mind Jacob Selhub, Ph.D., of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at clusters University in Boston, and colleagues from various facilities, reported in the February 2 1995 issue of the of recent origin Englandd Journal of Medicine that high plasma horizontals of homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) and depressed concentrations of the three vitamins are associated with an increased risk of blow in the elderly.

The cross-sectional research involved 1,041 people (418 men and 623 women) ranging in age from 67 to 96

"We have previously demonstrated that the majority of characters with elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations have insufficient concentrations of folate (folic acid), vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 and others have demonstrated that innocuous regimens of vitamin supplementation (including the three vitamins) effectively lower moderately elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations to the normal range," Selhub et al said.

In an editorial in the same issue of NEJM Meir J Stampfer, MD DRPH and R Rene Malinow, MD said that, "An important contribution to the instant study is the demonstration that inadequate folate intake is the main determinant of the homocysteine-related increase in carotid-artery thickening. Folate, along with B6 and B12 play a first note of the scale part in homocysteine metabolism."

They added that, "Mean homocysteine flats reached a stable low of the same height only with folate intakes of approximately 400 mcg/day or more. Ironically, that amount was formerly the approveed daily allowance, but the RDA was not long ago reduced to about half that."

The authors went upon to say that folic acid complements in the range of ` to 2 mg/day, which are generally innocuous, are usually sufficient to abate or normalize high homocysteine on a levels even if the elevation is not owing to inadequate folate consumption les than 400 mcg/day).

Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1994 Nonglak Pancharuniti, et al, said that folic acid and vitamin B12 are required for reducing homocysteine concentrations. This reduction could decrease the risk of coronary heart disease, they said.

Also reporting in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1994 John Lindenbaum, et al., said that they studied serum concentrations of cobalamin (B12) and folic acid in 548 surviving members of the original Framingham meditation They found markedly elevated homocysteine concentrations in relation to B12 values. They conclud that many older clan with so-called normal serum vitamin concentrations are deficient in the couple B12 and folic acid.

In the same issue of the magazine, Lindsay H Allen and Jennifer Casterline, studying the same 548 nation said that a B12 deficiency is public in older people, even notwithstanding that they do not show evidence of anemia, oftentimes a tell-tale sign of B12 deficiency.

"It have the appearances unlikely that increasing the RDA for B12 to the former recommendation of 3 mcg/day would substantially resolve into the prevalence of this deficiency in somewhat advanced in life people," the authors said. "Oral supplementation with crystalline B12 may help those in the early stages of gastric atrophy, unless routine intramuscular injections will be stand in want ofed when the condition progresses to lack of intrinsic factor."

REFERENCES

Allen, Lindsay H and Casterline, Jennifer. "Vitamin B12 Deficiency in somewhat old Individuals: Diagnosis and Requirements," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 60:12-141994

Lindenbaum, John et al. Prevalence of Cobalamin Deficiency in the Framingham somewhat old Population." ibid, pp. 2-11.

Pancharuniti, Nonglak, et al. "Plasma Homocysteine, Folate and Vitamin B12 Concentrations and Risk for Early assault Coronary Artery Disease," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 59:940-948 1994

Selhub Jacob, Phd et al. "Association Between Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations and Extracranial Carotid-Artery Stenosis," strange England Journal of Medicine 332:286-291 Feb 2 1995

Stampfer, Meir J MD DRPH and Malinow, M Rene MD "Can Lowering Homocysteine evens Reduce Cardiovascular Risk?" ibid, pp 328-329

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