Blood Protein Tied to Heart Failure
 (HealthScoutNews, 3/11/03)

At the start of the Framingham Heart Study in Boston, investigators measured the homocysteine levels of the 2,491 participants. Dr. Ramachandran S. Vitsan and colleagues later showed that subjects with initial homocysteine readings in the upper 25% range had quadruple the risk of developing congestive heart failure, compared to those testing in the lower quadrant. While previous studies had shown a link between this protein and cardiovascular disease, this study was the first to established a sequence. In other words, the elevated homocysteine levels preceded the heart failure. Scientists speculate that the homocysteine, in fact, causes cardiovascular problems by damaging the inner lining of the circulatory system.