2 recent excellent hip fracture research trials, published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that having a high homocysteine level almost doubles hip and spine fracture risk for women. For men, the risk is quadruple–4x.
The scary part is this: high homocysteine doesn’t affect bone density. It weakens bones and appears to cause fracture in another way.
What is homocysteine? It’s an amino acid that is produced by the body, sometimes as a byproduct of consuming meat, which is harmful to your arteries. It’s important to monitor homocysteine levels. High homocysteine (>10 micromoles/liter) should be treated.
Your high homocysteine level is also a risk factor for coronary artery disease–equal to LDL cholesterol levels–and stroke. In one study, patients with carotid artery blockages took 2500mcg folic acid, 25 mg vitamin B6, and 250 mcg vitamin B12, which actually reduced plaque size with high homocysteine levels.
Treatment to prevent osteoporotic fracture? No one knows, but this is one of the few problems likely amenable to vitamin therapy: typical dosages reported by previous trials appear to be 800-1000 mcg/day folic acid, 50 mg vitamin B6, and 100 mcg vitamin B12 to lower homocysteine levels.
To lower homocysteine, load up on foods rich in vitamin B6. Choose carefully new foods rich in vitamin B12. Of course, members of drjohnlapuma.com can lower homocysteine with free recipes filled with B vitamins.