Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

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deezer
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Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

Post by deezer »

I have high homocysteine and I am not sure of the cause. Can you help?

I fit this profile: High homocysteine, moderately high methionine, low cysteine, normal MMA, normal folate.

Homocysteine : 15.3 umol/L (<11.4) HIGH
MCV: 94 fL (80-100)
RBC: 4.50 Million/uL (4.20-5.80)
B12 Serum: 355 pg/mL (200-1100)
Methylmalonate: 0.2 mcg/mg (<=2.3)
Folate, Serum: 19 ng/mL (>5.4)
Folate, RBC: 559 ng/mL (>280)
Copper: 87 mcg/DL (70-175)
Methionine : 34 umol/L (14-48)
Cystine: 2 umol/L (14-48)
Lipid Peroxides: 1.72 nmol/L (<=2.60)
Isocitrate: 37 mcg/mg (39-143) LOW

Had full amino acid / Genova ION test, and all B vitamin & amino acid levels were within range.

Genetic Genie Results:
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Plumster
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Re: Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

Post by Plumster »

I have high homocysteine and I am not sure of the cause.
While we wait for Susan or someone else with more experience to answer your question, do you eat a lot of meat? Brazil nuts? Drink a lot of coffee?
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TheresaB
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Re: Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

Post by TheresaB »

Besides eating a fair amount of meat, are you losing weight? Are you taking niacinamide? Both of those will elevate homocysteine.

We have a wiki: MTHFR gene, methylation and homocysteine
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NF52
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Re: Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

Post by NF52 »

deezer wrote:I have high homocysteine and I am not sure of the cause. Can you help?

I fit this profile: High homocysteine, moderately high methionine, low cysteine, normal MMA, normal folate.

Homocysteine : 15.3 umol/L (<11.4) HIGH...
B12 Serum: 355 pg/mL (200-1100)
Methionine : 34 umol/L (14-48)
Cystine: 2 umol/L (14-48)
Welcome deezer,

Like Plumster and TheresaB, I would recommend a deep dive into the wiki entry developed by our Senior Contributor Susan J:
Methylation

And while I know painfully little about homocysteine and methylation, I was struck by the quote from her entry:
More about Methylfolate and Methyl-B12
Studies generally show homocysteine levels will be normal when folate and B12 status are good even in those with genetic variants. So, this is the place to start, especially if you have MTHFR or MTRR variants. The efficiency of MTR to recycle homocysteine depends on both.
Although your B-12 level is considered in the "normal" range on conventional measures, both Dr. Bredesen and the research scientists who lead the clinical trial I am on, which is designed for healthy people with ApoE 4 ages 60-75, want our b-12 levels to be 500 or higher. When my level was at 422, I got a call from the clinical study's nurse practitioner, asking me to add a 500 mcg dose of methylcobalamin B-12 to my daily regimen. Three months late, at my next blood test, my B-12 was 644. Recently it was at 671. So it's possible that you would be helping yourself overall by nudging that B-12 level up.

We always recommend that you consult with your primary care provider about test results. I have done that several times when I ordered direct-to-consumer tests and got results that concerned me, and have always felt that my primary provider listened carefully, explained options, and gave me useful advice.

You may also want to use out Search function on these topics. It can be reached through the magnifying glass icon by your user name in the upper right hand corner. For more tips on how to easily "swim" through the ocean of information and suggestions, check out our "How-To" Get the most out of the ApoE4.info website

Good luck! We hope you'll share what you learn, since we all learn best from each other.
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SamNZ
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Re: Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

Post by SamNZ »

deezer wrote:I have high homocysteine and I am not sure of the cause. Can you help?
Welcome deezer to our community, thank you for reaching out and I hope that you have found some information that can help you. There is so much knowledge from contributors from the site that you should always be able to find something new out to help understand what is going on for you a little better. Your bloods etc could probably be explained to you better by a functional medicine practitioner and lists of those with and interest in this field are on the Wiki page if you wanted to see if there was anyone in your area, ApoE4-Aware Healthcare Practitioners. Please feel free to introduce yourself further to our community in the Our Stories page that would be wonderful. Keep searching for more answers! SamNZ
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SusanJ
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Re: Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

Post by SusanJ »

I agree with NF52 about your B12 levels. Maybe start by upping your B12. Lozenges often work better because they bypass poor absorption in the gut. Do that for a couple months, then retest to see if you're making progress. Let us know how it goes!
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Julie G
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Re: Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

Post by Julie G »

Agree about the B12. 1 I also wonder about your B6 status. A wealth of evidence suggests that's a part of the triad necessary to reduce homocysteine. Drs. David Smith (Oxford) & Helga Refsum (University of Oslo) have also found that none of the B vitamins will work if your Omega-3 status isn't optimized. In a fascinating plot twist, they're also a part of a team that recently discovered the opposite is true. Omega-3s don't improve cognition unless this triad (B12, folate & B6) are optimized and homocysteine controlled. It's fascinating to see how interconnected and vital all of these nutrients are for controlling homocysteine as it relates to cognition. Choline is another key player. Most adult omnivores are not getting the required daily amount of 550mg. Pure vegans have an even harder time. Riboflavin status is also important, but only in those with the MTHFR C677T mutation, which you do NOT carry. It's much more complicated than just B12 and folate... Sigh.
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Re: Can't Figure Out High Homocysteine

Post by Plumster »

It appears that folic acid (not methyl folate) increases homocysteine in women who don't have MTHFR.
Here's Dr. Ben Lynch:
https://www.drbenlynch.com/folic-acid-h ... _NyDcB7Bo4
e3/4 MTHFR C677T/A1298C COMT V158M++ COMT H62H++ MTRR A66G ++ HLA DR
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