Effects of hormones on the plasma levels of the atherogenic amino acid homocysteine.

Introduction Growing evidence suggests that elevated plasma levels of total homocysteine (tHcy) are associated not only with arterial thrombosis and atherosclerosis but also with venous thrombosis [ 1,2]. tHcy levels appear to be related to oestrogen status. Premenopausal women have lower levels than postmenopausal women and men. In addition, plasma tHcy has been reported to decrease in pregnancy, in postmenopausal women on hormone-replacement therapy and during the high hormone phase in women taking oestrogen-containing contraceptives (for references see [3]).