Can you explain me atherosclerosis?

The hardening of the arteries is normally called atherosclerosis. It occurs when the normal lining of the arteries are damaged. This makes the artery walls thick. The deposits of fat and plaque can build up there and this cause narrowing and in extreme cases blockage of the arteries.

In coronary artery disease which is a form of atherosclerosis, the arteries that supply blood to the heart is narrowed. This decreases the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Extra strain on the heart may result in chest pain and other symptoms like short breathing.

It it is not treated the result is heart attack. If the symptoms are there you must go to your doctor immediately. If it is severe go to the hospital directly or call for an ambulance immediately.

Is homocysteine a risk factor for heart attack?

Homocysteine is an amino acid found in our body. But it is not a building block of protein or muscles. It is formed as an intermediate step in the production of methionine, another essential amino acid.

The production of methionine requires many B vitamins. If these are not enough in the blood the homocysteine level increases. This is a independant risk factor for developing plaque in the arteries, thus for heart attack and stroke.

Vitamin B6, Folic acid and B12 are necessary for the production, metabolism and excretion of homocysteine. These vitamins are also in low levels in many even in Western countries. I have seen this in several blood samples in Germany.

If the level of homocysteine is high the medicine is vitamin B complex tablets. It is not necessary to buy the costly tablet which contains only vitamin B6, folic acid and B12.

The reference values in the blood are 5 to 15 mg per litre blood. I have seen in a patient more than 170 mg and with B complex tablets we could bring it to the reference values within 8 months. As we see our food is very important for our health.