Does total plasma homocysteine level increase the risk of cardiovascular disease?
Homocysteine Test, a meta-analysis (J Clin Epidemiol 2002, PMID 12393075) — the ARR for cardiac events was 1.49 (95% CI: 1.31-1.70), and for ischemic stroke, it was 1.37 (95% CI: 0.99-1.99). Age and duration of follow-up did not significantly alter these ARRs.
Source: J Clin Epidemiol 2002, PMID 12393075 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: high
J Clin Epidemiol · 2002 · PMID 12393075 · DOI 10.1016/s0895-4356(02)00434-1
Higher homocysteine levels are moderately associated with an increased risk of cardiac events and ischemic stroke.
The question
Does total plasma homocysteine level increase the risk of cardiovascular disease?
What they tested
The role of homocysteine as a cardiovascular disease risk factor is controversial, with conflicting results from different study types.
How they did it
This meta-analysis synthesized data from 14 published prospective cohort studies. Average relative risks (ARRs) were calculated using fixed and random effect models. The study also assessed for publication and selection bias and the impact of individual studies on the ARR.
What they found
No evidence of publication bias (P =.62) or heterogeneity (P =.56) was found. The ARR for cardiac events was 1.49 (95% CI: 1.31-1.70), and for ischemic stroke, it was 1.37 (95% CI: 0.99-1.99). Age and duration of follow-up did not significantly alter these ARRs.
| Cardiac Events | 1.49 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ischemic Stroke | 1.37 |
The average relative risk for cardiac events was 1.49, and for ischemic stroke, it was 1.37.
What it means
Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with a moderate increase in the risk of a first cardiovascular event, independent of age and follow-up duration.
Limitations
The abstract does not explicitly state limitations of the meta-analysis itself, beyond acknowledging the prior controversy and potential for reverse causality bias in case-control studies.
Where the published abstract does not list limitations, we say so rather than inventing them. Read the full paper on PubMed before drawing conclusions.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Total plasma homocysteine level and risk of cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies |
|---|---|
| Journal | J Clin Epidemiol |
| Year | 2002 |
| PMID | 12393075 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1016/s0895-4356(02)00434-1 ↗ |
| Topic | Cardiovascular & vascular aging |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
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Homocysteine Test
Elevated levels predict cardiovascular mortality. Research relevant to this mechanism is indexed on PubMed and linked below; it describes the mechanism rather than this specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does total plasma homocysteine level increase the risk of cardiovascular disease? [Plain-English summary of J Clin Epidemiol 2002, PMID 12393075, DOI 10.1016/s0895-4356(02)00434-1]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d12393075.html@misc{magellan_d12393075,
title = {Does total plasma homocysteine level increase the risk of cardiovascular disease?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d12393075.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 12393075; DOI 10.1016/s0895-4356(02)00434-1; J Clin Epidemiol 2002. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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