Hyperhomocysteinemia and Alcoholism: A Double Hit?

Abstract

Homocysteine (HCY) is a non-protein sulfur-containing amino acid. It has received a great deal of attention over the last two decades within the scientific community for its unique role in the induction of several diseases ranging from atherosclerotic cardiovascular
disease to neural tube defects (NTD). The hypothesis that hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) causes atherosclerosis was proposed by McCully1 in 1969, when he observed that children with homocysteinuria had atherosclerotic plaques of the peripheral, coronary, and cerebral vasculature.