| Theme | Homocysteinemia in Association with Chronic Renal Failure | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Homocysteine in maintenance hemodialysis patients | |
| Publish Date | 1999/02 | |
| Author | Michiya Shinozaki | Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kyushu University Faculty of Medicine |
| Author | Hideki Hirakata | The Kidney Care Unit, Kyushu University Faculty of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] | Based on epidemiological studies, homocysteine (Hcy) was revealed to be a newly identified risk factor for atherosclerosis. Plasma Hcy concentrations increase with renal-functional deterioration and their marked elevation is reported in patients with end-stage renal disease who are on renal replacement therapy. Our examinations found that the pre-dialysis Hcy correlated well with the fasting level for Hcy. This may be a convenient and accurate method for the evaluation of the hyperhomocysteinemia in hemodialysis patients. Folic acid supplementation is generally recommended to reduce plasma Hcy. Long-term folic acid administration in hemodialysis patients is known to increase plasma folic acid concentrations enormously. However, the Hcy lowering effect for folic acid reaches maximum effective levels in these patients and we can not anticipate further reductions of plasma Hcy. Optimal dosage of folate in hemodialysis patients must be fully assessed. | |