Homocysteine. Norm of substance in the blood

Homocysteine is the name of the sulfur-containing acid that occurs in the body as a result of processing methionine. The peculiarity of this substance is that it comes to a person through food. Methionine is found in large amounts in meat, eggs and milk. It is during the process of digesting food from the body, from methionine, and homocysteine is formed.

The norm of this substance throughout the life of a person is constantly changing. With age, the indicators gradually increase. Before the onset of puberty for girls and boys, the level of homocysteine, whose norm is 5 μmol / L, is approximately the same. In transition age, his level rises to 7 μmol / l, and in young people this increase is more pronounced than in girls.

If we talk about adults, then in men homocysteine, the norm of which is about 10 μmol / l, is significantly higher than that of women. The older a person becomes, the higher the level of a given acid.

In pregnant women, homocysteine may be somewhat lower. This is especially noticeable in the first two trimester of pregnancy. In this case, there is no need to panic about the parameters of the substance homocysteine, its rate will recover after 3 days after delivery. After a decrease in the level of acid promotes placental circulation.

This substance, accumulating in the body, irritates, covered with epithelium, the internal walls of the arteries, resulting in the formation of ruptures. Calcium and cholesterol, precipitating the damaged surface, contribute to the formation of a sclerotic plaque. This leads to the fact that the vessel is clogged, causing a thrombosis or rupture, resulting in the development of stroke, embolism in the lung or myocardial infarction.

People who have elevated homocysteine levels are prone to developing Alzheimer's disease and even developing senile dementia. And in combination with diabetes, there are often vascular complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, etc.).

The level of homocysteine is recommended to check all persons who have an anamnesis of arterial or venous thrombosis, ischemic heart disease. And also women who had gynecological diseases and whose close relatives suffered heart attacks, strokes or thromboses.

Will help determine the level of acid homocysteine analysis. Blood sampling should be performed on an empty stomach (after meal should pass at least eight hours).

The increase in the indices of this substance can be caused by several reasons:

• Vitamin deficiency, especially when there is a lack of vitamins B6, B1, I12 and folic acid.
• Smoking and frequent consumption of coffee (may increase the rates by 3 μmol / l).
• Passive lifestyle.
• Alcohol.
• Medicines. In particular, this applies to the drug "Methotrexate" - a folate antagonist (prescribed for psoriasis), as well as anticonvulsant medications (fetitoin - removes folic acid in the liver), nitrous oxide (used in anesthesia), metformin (in diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome) , Eufillina (used in gynecology for the treatment of gestosis, inhibits the action of vitamin B6) and hormonal contraceptives.
• Renal insufficiency.
• Psoriasis.
• Leukemia.
• Diabetes.
• Hypothyroidism.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, causing a violation of absorption of vitamins.

In future mothers, increasing homocysteine can cause severe complications during pregnancy: intrauterine growth retardation, placental abruption, and even fetal death. Hyperhomocysteinemia is the main factor provoking miscarriages, in addition, children can be born with neural tube defects and clubfoot. The same reason can cause infertility in women, in which implantation of the embryo becomes impossible.

The decrease in homocysteine is observed with multiple sclerosis.