Homocysteine and Folate Therapy in Dialysis Patients

In the last years scientific interest in homocysteine is growing. Homocysteine is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the general population with normal renal function. The relationship between homocysteine and cardiovascular disease in patients with renal failure is unclear. This review shows up homocysteine metabolism and its interactions with drugs and diseases, summarizes homocysteine's toxic effects and the results of clinical studies about the effects of homocysteine-lowering therapy on hard endpoints like cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and describes which kind of treatment can reduce homocysteine in dialysis patients.