Glossary term
An amino-acid marker of B-vitamin status. Over 10 umol/L is a cardiovascular risk signal.
Homocysteine is an amino-acid intermediate that should be quickly remethylated back to methionine using folate, B12, and B6. Blood levels above 10 umol/L reflect a metabolic bottleneck - usually undermethylation from MTHFR variants or plain B-vitamin shortfall. Elevated homocysteine independently raises cardiovascular and cognitive-decline risk. Correction is usually simple: methylated folate (not folic acid), methylcobalamin B12, and P5P B6 over 8-12 weeks. Run it alongside ApoB and hs-CRP on the Advanced panel for the full cardiovascular risk picture.
Medically reviewed byDr. Lena Okafor, MD
Medical Director - updated April 2026How we review
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