A Quantitative Assessment of Plasma Homocysteine as a Risk Factor for Vascular Disease

Higher folic acid intake by reducing tHcy levels promises to prevent arteriosclerotic vascular disease and under different assumptions, 13,500 to 50,000 CAD deaths annually could be avoided.

Abstract

A 5-mumol/L tHcy increment elevates CAD risk by as much as cholesterol increases of 0.5 mmol/L (20 mg/dL). Higher folic acid intake by reducing tHcy levels promises to prevent arteriosclerotic vascular disease. Clinical trials are urgently needed. Concerns about masking cobalamin deficiency by folic acid could be lessened by adding 1 mg of cobalamin to folic acid supplements.