Many Austrians May Have High Homocysteine
(Vienna, Reuters Health, 1/24/03)

Dr. Bernhard Zirm of Bad Radkersburg Hospital in southern Austria was aware that half of all deaths in Austria result from cardiac disease; but he was still surprised by the magnitude of the health crisis when he and his colleagues found that one-third of 528 people tested in the Bad Radkersburg area, had elevated levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to increased heart disease risk. The researchers noted that the homocysteine levels were highest for subjects who were older and for those who ingested the least B vitamins, specifically folic acid, B6 and B12. Dr. Zirm has now taken the study to the next phase in which he is examining the effect of treating high-risk cardiac patients with folic acid and vitamin B supplements.