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The treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia
Maron BA, Loscalzo J.. Annual review of medicine, 2009-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The unique biochemical profile of homocysteine is characterized by chemical reactivity supporting a wide range of molecular effects and by a tendency to promote oxidant stress-induced cellular toxicity. Numerous epidemiological reports have established hyperhomocysteinemia as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, dementia-type disorders, and osteoporosis-associated fractures. Although combined folic acid and B-vitamin therapy substantially reduces homocysteine levels, results from randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials testing the effect of vitamin therapy on outcome in these diseases have generally fallen short of expectations. These results have led some to abandon homocysteine monitoring in the management of patients with cardiovascular or cognitive disorders. These trials, however, have generally included patients with only mildly elevated homocysteine levels and have not addressed several clinical scenarios in which homocysteine reduction may be effective, including the primary prevention of atherothrombotic disease in individuals at low or intermediate risk, or those with severe hyperhomocysteinemia.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Maron, B. A., & Loscalzo, J. (2009). The treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia. Annual review of medicine. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.med.60.041807.123308
Vancouver
Maron BA, Loscalzo J. The treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia. Annual review of medicine. 2009. doi:10.1146/annurev.med.60.041807.123308. PMID: 18729731.
BibTeX
@article{maron2009-18729731,
author = {Maron, B. A. and Loscalzo, J.},
title = {{The treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia}},
journal = {Annual review of medicine},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1146/annurev.med.60.041807.123308},
pmid = {18729731},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.med.60.041807.123308}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Although combined folic acid and B-vitamin therapy substantially reduces homocysteine levels, results from randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials testing the effect of vitamin therapy on outcome in these diseases have generally fallen short of expectations.
- These results have led some to abandon homocysteine monitoring in the management of patients with cardiovascular or cognitive disorders.
Why it matters
Although folic acid and B-vitamin therapy lowers homocysteine levels, randomized trials testing whether this helps cardiovascular or cognitive disorders have generally fallen short of expectations. The author notes these trials mostly included people with only mildly elevated homocysteine and did not address some clinical scenarios.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 49/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Annual review of medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Annual Review of Medicine: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2009 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 313 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 16.5 citations a year over 19 year(s) since 2009 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 39 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Joseph Loscalzo: h-index 142 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 18729731) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 49 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1146/annurev.med.60.041807.123308
- PubMed: 18729731
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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