Introduction

Abstract

This is the first text specifically devoted to homocysteine and its relationship to vascular diseases. This amino acid, which plays a central role in folate and methionine metabolism, is now regarded by many as a potentially major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and venous thrombosis. It is also a risk factor for the vascular complications of other systemic disorders such as end stage renal disease and systemic lupus erythematosus. There has been an exponential increase in the scientific output in this field in the last ten years. As with all risk factors for vascular disease, investigations have been undertaken in many fields including epidemiology, the basic sciences and clinical medicine. This text brings together many of the workers in these fields including some of those responsible for the original clinical and pathological reports which made the initial connection between homocysteine and vascular disease over twenty years ago. The reader will therefore see that this field is by no means new but it has certainly received a renewed and increased interest in the last decade.