Homocysteine

What Affects the Test

Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

• Going through menopause.
• Having high blood pressure (hypertension).
• Not getting enough B vitamins, such as folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 in your diet.
• Smoking or other tobacco use.
• Having a family history of high homocysteine levels.
• Drinking more than 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day over many years.
• Taking medicines, such as anticonvulsants, antibiotics, theophylline, birth control pills, and tamoxifen.
• Having kidney disease, certain forms of leukemia, or psoriasis.
• Having a rare family (inherited) disease that causes the lack of an enzyme needed to prevent the build up of homocysteine in the blood (homocystinuria).

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: March 5, 2007
Medical Review:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology
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