homocysteine, uric acid tests

My understanding is that elevated uric acid is a marker for metabolic damage (as is type 2) and that homocysteine is a marker for inflammation and much linked to heart disease and vascular issues (stroke, dementia).
Since inflammation promotes cell proliferation at the expense of excess vitamins leading to hyperhomocysteinemia, therefore, homocysteine can be used as a marker of inflammation to indicate the presence of inflammation.
Excess purine containing foods (not beans) were thought to lead to excess uric acid in the past when the richer part of the populations suffered gout and it was observed that these people at red met and drank port and the crystals that result in painful joints but a with all things nutritional it is hard to unpick what causes it but yet again excess insulin (insulin resistance) and kidneys holding onto too much fluid is supposed to relate to this condition too.

I found it surprisingly difficult to find anything in English to discuss this item. I had to force my browser to only display English articles. It is apparently an important factor in making hemoglobin and requires vit B12 and folate to be in good supply. Excess occurs when these two are low in the body, and is more prevalent in the elderly, and men suffer more than women. It is, however, apparently a supplement used by bodybuilders and can be purchased on Amazon. It is entirely synthesized by the body and is not directly related to diet. It has a sister (Carbocycteine) which is a medication given to COPD patients

The lack of English information would suggest that a test for this item would be difficult to find in the UK.

The link between high levels of this item vs blood clots was first mooted by the Framingham heart study but it is by association and not thought to be a direct cause. IMHO it is probably the interference on the haemoglobin process that is the real culprit, but it could act as a marker for endothelial cell damage and inflammation. Not sure how useful a test by the GP would be since it seems to be very specialized.

Are you mixing up homocysteine and cysteine? Cysteine is an amino acid which is beneficial to the body and homocysteine is not beneficial.

bobrobert said:

Are you mixing up homocysteine and cysteine? Cysteine is an amino acid which is beneficial to the body and homocysteine is not beneficial.

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Homocysteine is an amino acid too, In the correct levels, it seems to be essential to us and beneficial. It is not harmful in itself, It is a marker of a problem, not a cause apparently. There is no evidence that increased intake of supplement improves anything. Not sure if one can overdose on it

https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/homocysteine-risk