Vol.7, No 1, 2000 pp. 7 -10
UC 612.17 
HYPERHOMOCYSTEINEMIA:
A RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Vladisav Stefanović
Institute of Nephrology and Hemodialysis, University School of Medicine, Niš, Yugoslavia
e-mail: stefan@junis.ni.ac.yu
Summary. Cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in general population today. Hyperhomocysteinemia, a new independent risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease, has been described in the last ten years. Moderate hyperhomocysteinemia occurs in 5-7% of general population, and is associated in the third and fourth deceny of life with premature coronary disease, stroke, arterial and venous thromboembolism. An increased level of homocysteine could be treated with folic acid. This short review describes the impact of hyperhomocysteinemia on cardiovascular morbidity, and an up-to-date prevention and treatment.
Key words: Hyperhomocysteinemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, venous thromboembolism, risk factor
HIPERHOMOCISTEINEMIJA - FAKTOR RIZIKA ZA NASTANAK KARDIOVASKULARNOG OBOLJENJA

Kratak sadržaj: Kardiovaskularna i periferna vaskularna oboljenja su danas glavni uzrok morbiditeta i mortaliteta u opštoj populaciji. U poslednjih deset godina hiperhomocisteinemija je opisana kao nezavisan faktor rizika za aterosklerotično oboljenje krvnih sudova. Umerena hiperhomocisteinemija sreće se u 5-7% opšte populacije, a u trećoj i četvrtoj deceniji života povezana je sa prevremenom pojavom koronarne bolesti, šloga, arterijskih i venskih tromboza. Povišen nivo homocisteina može se sniziti primenom folne kiseline. Ovaj kratak pregled opisuje uticaj hiperhomocisteinemije na kardiovaskularni morbiditet, i daje aktuelan pristup prevenciji i lečenju.
Ključne reči: Hiperhomocisteinemija, koronarna bolest, šlog, venski tromboembolizam, faktor rizika