Nutrition / Genetics

QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT: A meta-analysis by Arno Motulsky's lab illustrated the relationship between homocysteine levels and folic acid intake.

C.J. Boushey, S.A.A. Beresford, G.S. Omenn, A.G. Motulsky, "A quantitative assessment of plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for vascular disease," JAMA-Journal of the American Medical Association, 274:1049-57,1995. (Cited in 127 papers through August 1997)

Comments by Arno G. Motulsky, Department of Medicine, University of Washington

Researchers have known for some time that elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) may be associated with arteriosclerotic vascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes. Scientists also have observed that individuals with hyperhomocysteinemia often have low levels of the vitamin folic acid. To clarify the relationship between folic acid and homocysteine levels, the authors of this paper compiled the results of 27 previous studies relating homocysteine levels to arteriosclerotic vascular disease and 11 studies of folic acid effects on homocysteine levels....