Homocysteine: an emergent cardiovascular risk factor?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and disability in the western world. In the last years, the accumulation of evidence coming from both retrospective and prospective clinical studies has led to an increased interest in the potential role of mild hyperhomocysteinemia as a major, independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The present paper reviews the position of homocysteine in metabolism to understand the pathogenesis of hyperhomocysteinemia, as well as the clinical data pointing to its proposed role as an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor.