Advances in researches of homocysteine and major chronic diseases

In recent years,hyperhomocysteinemia,as an independent risk factor for many chronic diseases,attracts more and more attentions of research.Numerous nutritional,hormonal,and genetic factors related to the increased homocysteine concentration are also associated with specific pathological conditions,including cardiovascular diseases,stroke,hypertension,diabetes mellitus,chronic obstructive lung disease,and cancer.A large number of animal experiments and clinical studies show that homocysteine can stimulate the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle and cause endothelial injury,thus increasing the risk of a variety of chronic disease.