The Garmin 650 GPS has come way down because they came out with a new model (750). The last I checked, it was $386.12 with free shipping and no tax.  I bought one several years ago and can't believe I didn't buy one earlier.  Make sure it comes up as selling from Amazon.com and not one of their affiliates (usually shown on the right side bar). The only advantage that I could see in the 750 model was that if you were going to run a bunch of errands, you can enter them all and it will calculate the fastest route to complete all of them. The suction cup mount that comes with it is illegal in some state like CA. You’ll need to buy the bean bag mount or the air conditioner vent mount.  I got both and like the vent mount better but it was a little of a hassle to fasten it and it’s a hassle to get off so it is not really portable. There are slightly cheaper GPS systems but what you are paying for is the superior database and software (and probably a little for the brand name) plus I believe Garmin is the only one with yearly updates. I just updated my Garmin with the latest maps/store/restaurants/gas stations, etc. That’s something you can’t do with the built-in brand X units, which aren’t as easy to use either.

Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 1/7/07.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Energy Drinks May Pose Risks For People With High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease - Science Daily, 11/6/07 - "Over the duration of the study, heart rates increased five to seven beats per minute and systolic blood pressure increased 10 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) after energy drink consumption, the researchers reported. No significant ECG changes were observed"

Type 2 Diabetes: Inflammation, Not Obesity, Cause Of Insulin Resistance - Science Daily, 11/6/07 - "If we can block or disarm this macrophage inflammatory pathway in humans, we could interrupt the cascade that leads to insulin resistance and diabetes"

13% of Americans Have Kidney Disease - WebMD, 11/6/07 - "Thirteen percent of Americans now have chronic kidney disease, up 3% over the last decade, mostly due to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure ... A recent CDC report on the same NHANES data suggested that 17% of Americans have chronic kidney disease. Coresh and colleagues came up with a lower number because the CDC analysis included people with earlier signs of kidney disease, while the Coresh team counted only those with persistent kidney disease"

Artery Plaque Risk From the Pill? - WebMD, 11/6/07 - "every decade of use was associated with a 42% increase in carotid plaque and a 34% increase in femoral plaque"

Diet Linked To Cognitive Decline And Dementia - WebMD, 11/6/07 - "An article published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences highlights information on the benefits of diets high in fruit, vegetables, cereals and fish and low in saturated fats in reducing dementia risk"

CORONA: Little Clinical Benefit Seen in First Major Statin Trial in HF - Medscape, 11/6/07 - "Over a median follow-up of 33 months, there were no significant differences in the primary end point or in all-cause mortality, the rate of coronary events (which included sudden death, fatal or nonfatal MI, percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] or coronary arterial bypass graft [CABG], resuscitated cardiac arrest, and hospitalization for unstable angina), effects on NYHA class, or the rate of newly diagnosed diabetes ... Despite the lack of difference in the primary end point, there were significant reductions in levels of CRP; however, they were not decreased to what would be considered a low level ... This does bring into question whether higher doses of rosuvastatin could have additional clinical benefit" - Note:  Statins do little to increase HDL which some studies imply may be more important.  Also, statins have been shown to decrease co-enzyme Q10.  I would have liked to see the results if they had added niacin to increase HDL and co-enzyme Q10.

Blood Pressure Drug Curbs Brain Damage From Alzheimer's, Depression And Schizophrenia - Science Daily, 11/6/07 - "Prazosin, also prescribed as an antipsychotic medication, appears to block the increase of steroid hormones known as glucocorticoids ... Scientists believe stress activates a neurochemical response in the brain that triggers the release of glucocorticoids in the brain, and that high levels of glucocorticoids in blood serum are associated with such psychiatric conditions as schizophrenia, depression, PTSD and Alzheimer's disease"

• Definition of Glucocorticoid - medterms.com - "Cortisol is the major natural glucocorticoid"

Folic Acid in Preconceptual Period May Have a Preventive Effect on Congenital Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/07 - "The recent increase in folic acid intake has resulted in a decrease in the prevalence of infants born with severe congenital heart disease (CHD), supporting the idea that folic acid taken preconceptually may prevent CHD"

Diet Of Walnuts, Blueberries Improve Cognition; May Help Maintain Brain Function - Science Daily, 11/6/07 - "Diets containing two percent, six percent, or nine percent walnuts, when given to old rats, were found to reverse several parameters of brain aging, as well as age-related motor and cognitive deficits"

Death Risk Lower for Overweight People - WebMD, 11/6/07 - "Compared with people who fell into the normal-weight category, being obese was associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancers that have been linked to obesity, such as colon, breast, esophageal, uterine, and ovarian cancers ... Being underweight was linked to an increased risk of death from non-cancer and non-cardiovascular causes ... being slightly overweight, but not obese, was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of death from non-cancer and non-cardiovascular causes"

UCSD Researchers Discover Inflammation, Not Obesity, Cause of Insulin Resistance - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/07 - "The research also proved that obesity without inflammation does not result in insulin resistance ... when an animal or a human being becomes obese, they develop steatosis, or increased fat in the liver. The steatosis leads to liver inflammation and hepatic insulin resistance"

Combination Niacin-Laropiprant Plus Simvastatin Reduces Cholesterol by Almost 50% - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/07 - "When patients with dyslipidemia added simvastatin to their experimental combination of extended-release niacin and laropiprant -- a novel anti-flushing agent -- they reported reductions in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of as much as 48% from baseline ... high density liopoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was increased by 28% and triglycerides decreased by 33%"

Maternal Link to Alzheimer's Disease Found - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/07 - "People who have a mother with Alzheimer's disease appear to be at higher risk for getting the disease than those individuals whose fathers are afflicted ... People with an affected parent have a 4- to 10-fold higher risk compared to individuals with no family history. It isn't known why people with a family history are more susceptible to the disease"

New Combination Drug Improves Multiple Cholesterol Disorders in Single Pill - Doctor's Guide, 11/5/07 - "Simcor combines prescription niacin and simvastatin, two FDA-approved medications with established safety profiles, to target good cholesterol (HDL), bad cholesterol (LDL), and triglycerides in a single pill" - Sounds stupid to me.  Why would you pay prescription drug prices for something that is dirt cheap like niacin.  It is the Niaspan form of niacin, which they claim has less flush.  I tried Niaspan and couldn't tell any difference in the flush plus the flush eventually stopped even with immediate release niacin.  Plus I worry about increased liver damage with Niaspan.  Click here for the study that concerns me which was sustained release niacin, not Niaspan but it would seem to be similar.  Plus immediate release niacin is about 20% more effective at raising HDL than Niaspan.  Click here and note where Niaspan is on the graph.  I'm just eye balling the 20%.

Over-the-counter Pain Medications May Reduce Risk Of Parkinson's Disease - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "regular users of non-aspirin NSAIDs reduced their risk of Parkinson's disease by as much as 60 percent compared to non-regular users and non-users. Women who were regular users of aspirin reduced their risk of Parkinson's disease by 40 percent, especially among those who regularly used aspirin for more than two years"

High Blood Pressure Or Irregular Heartbeat Linked To Alzheimer's Disease Progression - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "10 with high blood pressure (systolic pressure over 160) at the time of AD diagnosis showed a rate of memory loss roughly 100 percent faster than those with normal blood pressure ... 10 with atrial fibrillation at the time of the diagnosis showed a rate of memory decline that was 75 percent faster than those with normal heartbeats"

When Treating High Blood Pressure, Simplicity is Best, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "initiate therapy with ACE-inhibitor/diuretic or Angiotensin receptor blocker/diuretic combination ... up-titrate combination therapy to the highest does ... add a calcium channel blocker and up-titrate ... add one of the non-first line antihypertensive agents" - I'm not a doctor but still feel people should stay away from diuretics.  See my research on first line treatments.  Also see the Alternative News section of my hypertension page.

• Diuretic Use Linked to End-Stage Renal Disease [ESRD] - Medscape, 5/16/03 - "We're concerned that there could be a long time lag between use of thiazide diuretics and ESRD, even as long as 10 to 15 years"
• Patient Compliance with Antihypertensive Therapy Appears Longer for Those Taking Angiotensin II Antagonists - Doctor's Guide, 7/18/02 - "One of the most challenging problems in the care of patients with high blood pressure is patient noncompliance with antihypertensive therapy ... Angiotensin II antagonists had the highest rate of persistence followed by ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, and diuretics"
• Blood Pressure Linked to Erectile Dysfunction - WebMD, 5/16/05 - "Men on older high blood pressure medications (diuretics, beta-blockers) had higher rates and more severe erectile dysfunction than men on newer medications (calcium antagonists, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers)"
• Impaired Glycemic Control Reversible When Switching Off Diuretic-Based Therapy - Medscape, 5/25/07 - "The risk of new-onset diabetes is also dose dependent, he said, such that at 25-mg hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) there is substantial risk of impairing the glucose response"
• Fasting Glucose Increases in Older Adults With Hypertension Regardless of Treatment Type - Medscape, 11/16/06 - "randomized to receive treatment with chlorthalidone, amlodipine, or lisinopril to reduce blood pressure to less than 140/90 mm Hg ... During the first 2 years, the mean increase is serum glucose levels was 8.5, 5.5, and 3.5 mg/dL among the chlorthalidone, amlodipine, and lisinopril groups, respectively" - Note:  chlorthalidone is a diuretic.

Breastfeeding May Prevent Heart Disease - WebMD, 11/5/07 - "babies who are nursed for one month or longer have a lower body mass index (BMI) and higher levels of "good" HDL cholesterol in mid-adulthood than their bottle-fed counterparts"

High Blood Pressure May Vary by Season - WebMD, 11/5/07 - "people with high blood pressure may need higher doses of medication or even different drugs in the winter months ... Blood pressure was nearly 8% less likely to return to normal in the winter than in the summer ... weight and exercise may play a role in the seasonal variations ... People gain weight in the winter and lose weight in the summer"

Dark Chocolate Fights Heart Woes - WebMD, 11/5/07 - "After two weeks, coronary circulation significantly improved in participants who ate dark chocolate. There was no change among those who ate white chocolate ... Cacao polyphenol contains four times as many disease-fighting flavonoids per serving than red wine or tea"

Modest Gain In Visceral Fat Causes Dysfunction Of Blood Vessel Lining In Lean, Healthy Humans - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "There are three parts to the take-home message here: One is that in healthy people, modest weight gain results in impaired endothelial function -- even in the absence of changes in blood pressure. The second is the encouraging news: endothelial function recovers after weight loss. The third point is that it is visceral fat -- the abdominal fat that surrounds internal organs -- rather than fat deposited as subcutaneous fat, just under the skin, that predicts endothelial dysfunction"

Antioxidants Could Provide All-purpose Radiation Protection - Science Daily, 11/5/07 - "Inositol and inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) protected both human skin cells and a skin cancer-prone mouse from exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the damaging radiation found in sunlight ... Twenty-three percent of treated mice developed tumors, compared to 51 percent of untreated, or control mice, which developed tumors. Moreover, the mice in the treated group that did develop cancer had only half as many tumors as the control mice" - See IP-6 products at Amazon.com.  Note:  IP-6 was one of the supplements I took when they told me I only had a small chance of survival from neck cancer.  Click here for the full story.  I still take it.

• Natural Sugar-Phosphate Compound Shows Promise as Cancer Treatment - University of Maryland Medicine - "In a study of human liver cancer cells treated with inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) and transplanted into mice ... IP6 slowed or stopped the growth of liver cancer cells and shrank existing tumors three- to four-fold"
• Natural Sugar-Phosphate Compound Shows Promise In Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 3/30/98 - "What if a common, naturally occurring substance could shrink tumours, stop their growth, even make cancer cells normal again? A University of Maryland School of Medicine researcher is finding that it can."
• How We Die - Colorado Futurescience, Inc

Common Medications Provide Equal Blood Pressure Control - Doctor's Guide, 11/2/07 - "Two common classes of blood pressure medications – angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) – are equally effective at controlling high blood pressure ... ACEIs are slightly more likely than ARBs to cause a harmless but persistent dry cough ... If left untreated, high blood pressure can cause catastrophic health problems: the heart may enlarge, which can lead to heart failure; small bulges --aneurysms -- may form in blood vessels, including the aorta (the main artery to the heart) and others in the brain, legs, and intestines; blood vessels in the kidney may narrow, causing kidney failure; blood vessels in the eyes may burst or bleed, possibly leading to blindness; and arteries throughout the body may "harden" faster, potentially leading to heart attack or stroke"

Coffee vs. Skin Cancer? - WebMD, 11/2/07 - "each daily cup of caffeinated coffee was associated with a 5% drop in the women's odds of reporting nonmelanoma skin cancer"

Antipsychotic Drug May Treat Depression - WebMD, 11/2/07 - "depression was in remission for about 24.5% of the Risperdal patients, compared with almost 11% of those taking the placebo"

Antioxidants May Fight Fat - WebMD, 11/2/07 - "Those antioxidants didn't kill fat cells or slash the number of fat cells in the test tubes. Instead, they made fat cells cut their production of triglycerides, which are a heart hazard. The antioxidants did that by curbing an enzyme needed to make triglycerides ... That particular enzyme was most effectively reduced by the phenolic acid o-coumaric acid and the flavonoid rutin"

Our Diet Must Change To Cut Cancer Risk - Science Daily, 11/1/07 - "obesity increases the risk of cancer of the oesophagus, colorectum, pancreas, breast, endometrium, and kidney. Its goal is for the average body mass index of the population to be between 21 and 23"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds:

Decreased in vivo oxidative stress and decreased platelet activation following metformin treatment in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic subjects - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2007 Oct 30 - "These data suggest that metformin could improve oxidative stress, preserve antioxidant function and restrain platelet activation in type 2 diabetes"

Dose-dependent effects of docosahexaenoic acid-rich fish oil on erythrocyte docosahexaenoic acid and blood lipid levels - Br J Nutr. 2007 Oct 31;:1-6 - "For every 1 g/d increase in DHA intake, there was a 23 % reduction in TAG (mean baseline concentration 1.9 (sem 0.1) mmol/l), 4.4 % increase in HDL-cholesterol and 7.1 % increase in LDL-cholesterol. Erythrocyte DHA content increased in proportion to the dose of DHA consumed (r 0.72, P < 0.001) and the increase after 12 weeks was linearly related to reductions in TAG (r - 0.38, P < 0.01) and increases in total cholesterol (r 0.39, P < 0.01), LDL-cholesterol (r 0.33, P < 0.01) and HDL-cholesterol"

Fish oil attenuates adrenergic overactivity without altering glucose metabolism during an oral glucose load in haemodialysis patients - Br J Nutr. 2007 Nov 1;:1-7 - "Fish oil decreases adrenal activation induced by mental stress and has an insulin sensitizing effect in healthy subjects ... Fish oil supplementation blunted both re-increase in thermogenic response and concomitant increase in plasma epinephrine, but not in plasma norepinephrine, over the last 2 h of the experiment. Fish oil did not alter either whole-body glucose metabolism or substrate oxidation. These data show that in haemodialysis patients, fish oil attenuates adrenal overactivity induced by oral glucose but does not modulate whole-body glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity"

Radiographic joint damage in early rheumatoid arthritis is highly dependent on body mass index - Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Oct 29;56(11):3575-3582 - "Multivariate regression analyses in both serologic groups revealed significantly higher odds of RS >/=7 in RF-positive patients of normal weight than in RF-positive obese patients (odds ratio [OR] 3.3)"

Relationship between vitamin D and muscle size and strength in patients on hemodialysis - J Ren Nutr. 2007 Nov;17(6):397-407 - "Treatment with active vitamin D was associated with greater muscle size and strength in this cohort of HD patients"

Acute effect of metformin on exercise capacity in active males - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2007 Oct 29 - "A single dose of metformin does not acutely influence maximal oxygen consumption or ventilatory threshold in healthy active males. The lower lactate concentration observed during continuous exercise with metformin was an unexpected finding considering that, in the resting state, metformin has been previously associated with a modest increase in lactate concentrations"

Resveratrol inhibits TNF-alpha-induced changes of adipokines in 3T3-L1 adipocytes  - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Oct 26 - "resveratrol may improve obesity-induced cardiovascular disease, particularly atherosclerosis, by attenuating the TNF-alpha-induced changes of adipokines" - See my favorite Jarrow Resveratrol 100 at iHerb.

Health Focus (Homocysteine):

Popular supplements to reduce homocysteine:

• B12 / B6 / folic acid / TMG / vitamin C / omega-3 / alpha lipoic acid / vitamin E / betaine
• Homocysteine formulas at iHerb

Alternative Homocysteine News:

• Homocysteine - Life Extension Foundation
• High Homocysteine - Vitacost Health Library
• The association between betaine and choline intakes and the plasma concentrations of homocysteine in women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1073-1081 - "Total choline + betaine intake was inversely associated with tHcy, as was choline from 2 water-soluble choline-containing compounds. Remethylation of tHcy may be more dependent on the betaine pathway when methyl sources are low as a result of either inadequate folate intake or heavier alcohol consumption"
• B Vitamin Plasma Levels and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack in a German Cohort - Stroke. 2007 Sep 20 - "Our data suggest that low vitamin B12 plasma levels, particularly in combination with low folate levels, increase the risk of cerebral ischemia. This effect may be mediated at least partly through elevations of homocysteine levels"
• Review of the role of hyperhomocysteinemia and B-vitamin deficiency in neurological and psychiatric disorders - Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr. 2007 Sep;75(9):e1-e18 - "Elevated concentration of total homocysteine (Hcy) in plasma (> 12 micromol/l) is a risk factor for several diseases of the central nervous system. Epidemiological studies have shown a dose-dependent relationship between concentrations of Hcy and the risk for neurodegenerative diseases. Hcy is a marker for B-vitamin deficiency (folate, B (12), B (6)). Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) causes hypomethylation which is an important mechanism that links Hcy to dementia ... Current evidence suggests that Hcy-lowering treatment has a positive effect for the secondary and primary prevention of stroke. HHcy is very common in patients with Parkinson disease particularly those who receive L-dopa treatment. Furthermore, a positive association has been reported between HHcy and multiple sclerosis. Moreover, HHcy and vitamin B deficiency are reported to have a causal role in depression, and epilepsy. In addition several anti-epileptic drugs cause secondary HHcy. Therefore, sufficient intakes of the vitamins are recommended for patients who have already developed neuropsychiatric diseases. Vitamin B deficiency should be suspected in children with development disorders, failure to thrive and unexplained neurological manifestations. Elderly people are also an important at-risk group where vitamin B deficiency and HHcy have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Treatment with folate, B (12), and B (6) can improve cerebral function. Preventive vitamin B supplementation and sufficient intake seem very important for secondary and primary prevention of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially in subjects with a low intake or status of the vitamins"
• Correlations between folate, B12, homocysteine levels, and radiological markers of neuropathology in elderly post-stroke patients - J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Jun;26(3):272-8 - "folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia are prevalent in elderly post-stroke patients. These two conditions are strongly and independently associated with the development of brain atrophy"
• Effects of folic acid and vitamin B complex on serum C-reactive protein and albumin levels in stable hemodialysis patients - Curr Med Res Opin. 2007 Jun 29 - "Folic acid and vitamin B complex co-administration effectively lowers tHcy and hs-CRP levels and increases albumin levels in stable hemodialysis subjects, underscoring their potential benefit to attenuate the state of inflammation and possibly improve the nutritional status in patients on hemodialysis"
• Vitamin link to bone loss probed - BBC News, 11/14/06 - "Increased amounts of homocysteine in the blood may increase the risk of developing osteoporosis ... Individuals who have a poor dietary intake of B-vitamins tend to have high homocysteine levels"
• Older Adults May Need B12 Dose More Than 200 Times the RDA to Normalize Mild Vitamin Deficiency - Medscape, 5/26/06 - "As both methylmalonyl-coenzyme A (MMA) and homocysteine are metabolized by vitamin B12, elevated levels of these compounds in the plasma can reflect vitamin deficiency ... One analysis yielded 500 μg of vitamin B12 as the minimum dose necessary to produce the greatest effect on MMA levels. There was little additional benefit in using daily doses of vitamin B12 of more than 500 μg"
• B12, Folate May Reduce Homocysteine Levels Without Affecting Cognition - Medscape, 12/19/05 - "randomized to receive (1) folic acid, 2.5 mg plus 400 µg of vitamin B12 or placebo, (2) 25 mg of vitamin B6 or placebo, or (3) 25 mg of riboflavin or placebo ... Homocysteine levels were significantly reduced by an average of 33% in the folic acid plus vitamin B12 group after 3 months ... B6 and riboflavin supplementation had no effect on homocysteine levels"
• B vitamins to lower homocysteine may prevent strokes - Nutra USA, 11/10/05
• Plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate levels in age-related macular degeneration - Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2005 Sep 15;:1-5 - "Patients with both exudative and dry types of AMD had significantly higher plasma homocysteine levels ... Plasma vitamin B12 levels were found to be significantly lower in the exudative AMD group"
• Homocysteine and folate as risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer disease - Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;82(3):636-43 - "Elevated plasma tHcy concentrations and low serum folate concentrations are independent predictors of the development of dementia and AD"
• Vitamin B12, homocysteine and carotid plaque in the era of folic acid fortification of enriched cereal grain products - CMAJ. 2005 Jun 7;172(12):1569-73 - "Vitamin B12 deficiency is surprisingly common among patients with vascular disease, and, in the setting of folic acid fortification, low serum vitamin B12 levels are a major determinant of elevated homocysteine levels and increased carotid plaque area"
• Homocysteine and vitamin b(12) status relate to bone turnover markers, broadband ultrasound attenuation, and fractures in healthy elderly people - J Bone Miner Res. 2005 Jun;20(6):921-9 - "High Hcy and low vitamin B(12) concentrations were significantly associated with low BUA, high markers of bone turnover, and increased fracture risk"
• Blood chemical is a stroke risk - BBC News, 1/14/05 - "looked at people genetically prone to high homocysteine levels and found they had a higher stroke risk than other individuals ... the risk can be reversed by taking folic acid ... Too much folic acid is also known to impact on a person's levels of vitamin B12 ... If this falls too low could, at worst, result in irreversible nerve damage"
• The effect of low doses of betaine on plasma homocysteine in healthy volunteers - Br J Nutr. 2004 Oct;92(4):665-9 - "plasma tHcy is lowered rapidly and significantly by 3 or 6 g betaine/d in healthy men and women"
• Impairment of coronary circulation by acute hyperhomocysteinaemia and reversal by antioxidant vitamins - J Intern Med. 2004 Nov;256(5):398-405 - "Our data suggest that acute hyperhomocysteinaemia reduces CFVR and increases plasma MCP-1 and IL-8 levels in healthy subjects. Pretreatment with antioxidant vitamin E and ascorbic acid prevents the effects of hyperhomocysteinaemia, suggesting an oxidative mechanism"
• Treatment With Folate to Lower Homocysteine - Medscape, 7/29/04 - "For patients with known cardiovascular disease, it is generally recommended to treat with folic acid (1 mg/day), vitamin B6 (10 mg/day), and vitamin B12 (0.4 mg/day). Folic acid can be increased up to 5 mg/day to reach a goal of lowering homocysteine levels below 15 mmol/L"
• Vitamins May Lower Osteoporosis Fractures - Intelihealth, 5/13/04 - "B vitamins are known to reduce levels of homocysteine ... high levels of homocysteine at least double the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures"
• 48,000 Lives Saved by Vitamin Additive - WebMD, 3/5/04 - "folic acid has another benefit -- this one for adults. It lowers blood levels of a bad actor called homocysteine. High homocysteine levels weaken the walls of blood vessels, making a person more prone to heart disease and stroke" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Folic acid and vitamin B(12) are more effective than vitamin B(6) in lowering fasting plasma homocysteine concentration in patients with coronary artery disease - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;58(3):481-7 - "The mean fasting plasma homocysteine concentration, however, decreased significantly after 12 weeks of folic acid combined with vitamin B(12) supplementation"
• Low Dose Betaine Supplementation Leads to Immediate and Long Term Lowering of Plasma Homocysteine in Healthy Men and Women - J. Nutr. 133:4135-4138, December 2003 - "doses of betaine in the range of dietary intake reduce fasting and postmethionine loading plasma homocysteine concentrations. A betaine-rich diet might therefore lower cardiovascular disease risk" - See iHerb or Vitacost betaine products.
• Elevated Homocysteine Raises Risk of Stroke, Dementia - Life Extension Magazine, 12/03
• Mediterranean Diet Lowers C-reactive Protein Levels - Medscape, 11/11/03 - "For each 10-point increase in diet score, there was a corresponding 0.22 mg/dL reduction in C-reactive protein levels, a 0.21 pg/ml reduction in interleukin-6, a 12.5 mg/dL decrease in fibrinogen, and a 0.87 mmol/L decrease in homocysteine levels (P < .05), he said. Also, white blood cell count decreased significantly"
• Startling New Findings About Homocysteine - Life Extension Magazine, 11/03 - "a startling 100% of French elderly hospitalized patients showed higher than desired homocysteine levels, with 45% suffering from severe hyperhomocysteinemia ... Administration of vitamins B6 and B12, and folate, causes a significant decrease of elevated serum homocysteine concentrations in older persons ... More recent studies not only confirm the cardiovascular dangers of homocysteine, but also its toxic effect on the brain. It turns out that high blood levels of homocysteine increase the incidence of depression, memory impairment, and even Alzheimer’s disease"
• Vitamin B12 Improves Homocysteine Levels and Lipid Profiles in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/6/03 - "During Phase 1, patients were prescribed oral doses of folic acid 5 mg/day and vitamin B12 0.6mg/day. Through out Phase 2, participants were given intravenous doses of vitamin B12 1mg every other day in addition to folic acid 5 mg/day ... By the completion of the study, patients exhibited significantly lower serum tHcy (29.4 verses 21.1 mg/dL), total cholesterol (222 verses 196 mg/dL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (139 versus 109 mg/dL). Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels increased significantly among the participants"
• B vitamin status and concentrations of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid in elderly German women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Oct;78(4):765-72 - "Even in younger, well-educated, female seniors, the prevalence of low B vitamin status and elevated plasma tHcy concentration is high. Thiamine, pyridoxine, folate, and cobalamin supplementation should be considered"
• Relation between homocysteine concentrations and the consumption of different types of alcoholic beverages: the French Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Aug;78(2):334-338 - "Wine consumption may increase tHcy concentrations, whereas beer consumption seems to have no effect (or even an inverse effect) on tHcy"
• What nutrients, in addition to folic acid, B12 and B6, may help lower elevated serum homocysteine levels? - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 8/03
• Influence of Training Volume and Acute Physical Exercise on the Homocysteine Levels in Endurance-Trained Men - Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 2003;47:114-118
• Betaine Supplementation Lowers Plasma Homocysteine in Healthy Men and Women - J. Nutr. 133:1291-1295, May 2003 - "Groups of twelve subjects ingested 6 g betaine, 800 µg folic acid with 6 g placebo or 6 g placebo each day for 6 wk ... Fasting plasma homocysteine decreased by 1.8 µmol/L ... in the betaine group and by 2.7 µmol/L ... in the folic acid group ... betaine suppressed the total area under the plasma homocysteine-time curve after methionine loading by 221 µmol . 24 h/L ... compared with placebo, whereas folic acid had no effect" - See iHerb or Vitacost betaine products.
• Folic acid and reduction of plasma homocysteine concentrations in older adults: a dose-response study - Am. Journ. of Clin. Nutri., 5/03 - "In older adults, daily supplementation with folic acid effectively lowers plasma homocysteine concentrations, and a daily dose of ~ 400 µg is the minimum dose required for adequate homocysteine reduction" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Interrelationship of homocysteine-cobalamin-folate indices in human subjects of various ages: can hyper-homocyteinemia be relieved with B-12 supplementation? - Mo Med 2003 Mar-Apr;100(2):155-8 - "Thirty-nine of the subjects who had hyperhomocysteinemia were daily given 100 mcg B-12 for three months ... B-12 supplementation is effective in alleviating hyperhomocysteinemia" - 100 mcg is a fairly low dose compared to the 1000 and 5000 mcg doses being sold. - Ben
• n -3 Fatty acids plus oleic acid and vitamin supplemented milk consumption reduces total and LDL cholesterol, homocysteine and levels of endothelial adhesion molecules in healthy humans - Clin Nutr 2003 Apr;22(2):175-82 - "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a commercially available skimmed milk supplemented with n -3 PUFA, oleic acid, and vitamins E, B(6), and folic acid (Puleva Omega3((R))) on risk factors for cardiovascular disease ... Thirty volunteers were given 500 ml/day of semi-skimmed milk for 4 weeks and then 500 ml/day of the n -3 enriched milk for 8 further weeks ... The consumption of n -3 enriched milk produced a significant decrease in plasma concentration of total and LDL cholesterol accompanied by a reduction in plasma levels of homocysteine" - 500 ml is 2.1 cups.  Oleic acid is an omega-9.
• Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: Vitamins Can Help Prevent - WebMD, 2/28/03 - "High levels of a substance in the blood called homocysteine tops the list of potentially new risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and now dementia. A new study suggests that high homocysteine levels are linked with mental declines associated with Alzheimer's disease in elderly people ... High homocysteine levels can be treated very easily with vitamins, including folate, niacin, and B-12"
• Elevated Plasma Homocysteine Levels in Patients Treated With Levodopa: Association With Vascular Disease - Archives of Neurology, 1/03 - "Levodopa therapy, rather than PD, is a cause of hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with PD. Deficiency of folate or vitamin B12 levels does not explain the elevated homocysteine levels in these patients"
• Mechanisms Differ Between Depression and Either Vitamin B12 Or Folate - Doctor's Guide, 12/10/02 - "hyperhomocysteinemia, vitamin B12 deficiency and, to a lesser extent, folate deficiency all were related to depressive disorders"
• Argument Strengthens For Folic Acid To Reduce Homocysteine Level - Doctor's Guide, 11/26/02 - "A decrease in serum homocysteine of 3 micromol/l, which can be achieved by a daily intake of about 0.8 mg folic acid, should reduce the risk of ischaemic heart disease by 16 percent, deep vein thrombosis by 25 percent, and stroke by 24 percent" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Folic Acid for Your Heart - WebMD, 11/22/02 - "By increasing folic acid intake and thus decreasing homocysteine, the researchers say the risk of heart disease would drop by 16%, blood clots in the legs by 25%, and stroke by 24%" - See iHerb or Vitacost folic acid products.
• Serum B Vitamins Can Curb Effects Of Genetic Mutation - Doctor's Guide, 10/4/02
• Folic Acid May Have Benefits for Smokers - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/02 - "randomised to four weeks of folic acid 5 mg/day or placebo ... Results showed that folic acid reduced homocysteine concentrations (10.8+/-0.6 versus 7.9+/-0.5 µmol/L, p<0.001) and there was a significant reduction in blood pressure (mean BP 88+/-2 versus 83+/-1 mmHg, p<0.01) ... Benefits also seem to be largely independent of the lowering of homocysteine concentrations"
• Homocysteine-Lowering Therapy [folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6] Improves Revascularisation, Angioplasty Outcome - Doctor's Guide, 8/29/02
• New Views on Atherosclerosis - Life Extension Magazine, 8/02 - "A drug company has patented a product called FOLTX that cardiologists are now prescribing to their patients for the purpose of lowering homocysteine. Each tablet of FOLTX contains: 2.5 mg of folic acid, 1.0 mg of vitamin B12, 25 mg of vitamin B6.  The cost for 90 tablets of FOLTX from www.drugstore.com is $38.08—or about double the retail price of these same potencies of vitamins when purchased in a health food store"
• An Anti-Atherosclerosis Aid For Adults With Hyperhomocysteinemia? - Doctor's Guide, 6/7/02 - "One year of folic acid supplementation was found to be linked with a significant increase in the subjects' mean plasma folate levels and a significant decline in their homocysteine levels ... Study authors suggest the findings demonstrate long-term folic acid improves arterial endothelial function and has potential implications for prevention of atherosclerosis in people with hyperhomocysteinemia"
• Vitamins Fight Alzheimer's - WebMD, 5/28/02 - "There's new evidence that a substance found in blood can cause the type of brain and blood vessel deterioration that leads to dementia. But those same studies also show that taking certain vitamins can lower levels of this substance -- homocysteine -- and ward off the damage, possibly preventing Alzheimer's disease ... This is exciting information, because homocysteine levels can be reduced by taking the vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid"
• Homocysteine Levels Higher, Serum Vitamin B12 Lower In Vegetarians - Doctor's Guide, 5/27/02 - "Vegetarians have considerably higher levels of total plasma homocysteine, greater prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia and lower levels of serum vitamin B12 than do non-vegetarians"
• In Praise of Folic Acid - Time Magazine, 2/25/02 - "folic acid plays a crucial role in the development of just about every cell in the body ... subjects who had high levels of a particular amino acid called homocysteine in their blood were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's as those who didn't. The finding is important because one of the easiest ways to lower homocysteine levels is to get plenty of folic acid ... There is no risk of overdose, although high levels of folic acid can mask the signs of pernicious anemia in people who have developed the disorder" - The way I understand it, taking vitamin B12 with the folic acid will avoid that problem. - Ben
• New Alzheimer's Risk Factor Identified - WebMD, 2/13/02 - "High blood levels of a substance called homocysteine have been linked to an increased risk for both heart attack and stroke. Now, new research finds it to be a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and other age-related dementias ... It is known that B-vitamins like folic acid, B-6, and B-12 lower homocysteine levels"
• Mix B-12 and Folic Acid for Heart Health - WebMD, 1/18/02 - "Folic acid alone reduces the level of a potentially harmful amino acid in the blood, called "homocysteine." When elevated, homocysteine has been shown to raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. In fact, some heart experts consider homocysteine to be a very important risk factor ... But adding vitamin B-12 to the mix "is likely to be much more effective in lowering homocysteine concentrations,"" - See iHerb or Vitacost Vitamin B12 products.
• Vitamin B12 Plus Folic Acid Significantly Reduces Homocysteine Levels - Doctor's Guide, 1/17/02 - "This finding suggests that a fortification policy based on folic acid and vitamin B12, rather than folic acid alone, is likely to be much more effective in lowering homocysteine concentrations"
• Folic Acid [deficiency] Linked to Parkinson's Disease - WebMD, 1/17/02 - "The latest research shows that mice on a low-folic-acid diet are much more likely to get Parkinson's disease than mice on a normal diet ... The researchers were able to finger homocysteine as the likely culprit behind the loss of brain cells"
• Folic acid and vitamin B12 save lives and money - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 would result in a tremendous increase in health and longevity of the American population at a low cost, while saving 24 billion dollars in healthcare costs over the coming decade ... folic acid could lower homocysteine by 25%; the addition of vitamin B12 led to a further 7% drop"
• Folate Cost-Effective For Prevention Of Coronary Artery Reblockage - Intelihealth, 11/29/01 - "The vitamin therapy included a combination of folic acid (also known as folate or vitamin B9), vitamin B12, and vitamin B6. Patients who received the vitamins had significantly lower levels of homocysteine, and lower rates of restenosis and cardiac complications"
• High Dose Oral Folic Acid Acutely Improves Endothelial Function in Coronary Artery Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/01 - "Although high-dose folic acid (5 mg daily) improves endothelial function in CAD patients, it is controversial as to whether this improvement is due to homocysteine lowering or other direct actions of folic acid"
• Battling Heart Disease with B Vitamins - Life Extension Magazine, 8/01 - "Studies to date have shown that folic acid alone may reduce heart disease risk by as much as 30% to 40%, primarily through its ability to lower homocysteine. In fact, folic acid has been deemed the mainstay of treatment for hyperhomocysteinaemia (elevated homocysteine).(5) However, folic acid works best when teamed up with vitamin B12, which enhances the benefits of folic acid supplementation"
• A Prescription for Alarm - Nutrition Science News, 9/01 - "Increasing consumption of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12, which lower homocysteine levels.  Homocysteine damages blood vessel walls and, says McCully, sets the stage for subsequent cholesterol deposits."
• Folic Acid/Vitamin B12 Show Potential as Heart Disease Treatments - Doctor's Guide, 8/22/01
• Homocysteine News - Life Extension Magazine, 6/01 - "Scientific studies confirm that even tiny elevations in homocysteine can significantly increase the risk of heart attack and stroke"
• Alzheimer's Disease May Be Linked to Deficiencies in Vitamin B12 or Folate - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/01 - "Study authors theorized that vitamin B12 or folate deficiencies affect Alzheimer's disease by influencing neurotransmitters or the levels of the amino acid homocysteine in the body. Either vitamin B12 or folate deficiency can increase homocysteine levels. Homocysteine has a neurotoxic effect that could lead to cell death or neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease"
• Folic Acid May Reduce Age-Related Memory Problems - WebMD, 4/27/01 - "High homocysteine levels were independently associated with poor performance on the memory tests, as were low levels of the vitamin folic acid. Folic acid, or folate, has been shown to significantly lower homocysteine levels ... a cocktail of three vitamin supplements -- folic acid, B12, and B6 -- can dramatically lower homocysteine levels, even in those who get the recommended levels of the vitamins in their diets ... Homocysteine levels naturally increase as you age ... Jacobsen, 62, recommends taking 400-800 mcg of folic acid every day and 25-100 mg of vitamin B6. He says it is not clear if B12 supplementation is beneficial in younger people, but it does appear to benefit those over 50. He takes 500 mcg of B12 each day"
• Multivitamin With Folic Acid May Reduce Homocysteine More Than With Folic Acid Alone - Doctor's Guide, 4/26/01 [abstract] - "the supplement containing 800 micrograms of folic acid reduced homocysteine levels by nearly 50 percent while the supplement containing 160 micrograms of folic acid had no significant effect above placebo"
• Elevated Homocysteine Linked To Greater Risk Of Stroke And Vascular Disease - Doctor's Guide, 2/16/01
• Antioxidant Vitamins Block Homocysteine's Acute Toxic Effects - Nutrition Science News, 12/00
• Folic Acid and the Heart Turning Into Fast Friends - WebMD, 8/31/00
• SAMe Needs The B's - Nutrition Science News, 7/00 - "users of this wonder pill should be aware that through the natural metabolism of SAMe, the amino acid homocysteine is created--a situation that can lead to artery damage and even heart disease. . . . .others have demonstrated that by simply upping one's intake of the vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid, this potential hazard can be avoided."

Other Homocysteine News:

• Homocysteine and diabetic retinopathy - Diabetes Care. 2007 Sep 26 - "Plasma total homocysteine concentration may be a useful biomarker and/or a novel risk factor for increased risk of diabetic retinopathy in people with type 2 diabetes"
• Hyperhomocysteinemia: a novel risk factor for erectile dysfunction - Metabolism. 2006 Dec;55(12):1564-1568 - "Hyperhomocysteinemia, known to be an important risk factor in endothelial dysfunction, seems to be an important determinant in ED. These data suggest that slightly elevated Hcys levels are significantly related with arterial and probably endothelial dysfunction in patients with ED"
• Biomarker For Age-related Macular Degeneration Found - Science Daily, 1/8/06 - "elevated homocysteine in the blood may be another biomarker for increased risk of AMD"
• Erectile Trouble May Signal Heart Disease - HealthDay, 5/24/05 - "Levels of homocysteine may be a sign of how severe erectile dysfunction is ... Nutrition can influence homocysteine levels positively, and substitution with folic acid, in combination with vitamin B6 and B12, can reduce homocysteine levels significantly"
• Homocysteine and cognitive function - Medscape, 3/25/05 - "Higher homocysteine levels were associated with worse function across a broad range of cognitive domains, and the magnitude of the associations was large. The data suggest that homocysteine may be a potentially important modifiable cause of cognitive dysfunction"
• New Research: What is Your Optimal TSH Level? - About.com, 9/30/04 - "normalizing the TSH with a target TSH level of less than 2 mIU/mL is advisable to lower CRP levels and homocysteine levels, and possibly the cholesterol levels"
• Elevated Homocysteine Levels May Be Related to Changes in Deep Brain Tissue - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/04
• Patients with Parkinson Disease and High Homocysteine Levels May Be More Likely to Be Depressed - Doctor's Guide, 6/22/04
• New Fracture Risk: High Homocysteine - WebMD, 5/12/04
• Homocysteine Independent Risk Factor for Stroke - Doctor's Guide, 2/9/04
• Metformin Treatment Leads to Increased Homocysteine, Decreased Vitamin B12 and Folate in Type 2 Diabetes Patients - Doctor's Guide, 10/20/03 - "Homocysteine requires folate and vitamin B12 to be properly metabolised, and serum vitamin B12 levels are known to decrease during metformin treatment ... compared with placebo, metformin was associated with an increase in serum homocysteine levels (4% [0.2 to 8 µmol L-1]; P=0.039), and decreases in vitamin B12 (-14% [-4.2 to -24 pmol L-1]; P<0.0001) and folate (-7%"
• Elevated Homocysteine Linked to Exfoliative Syndrome and Exfoliative Glaucoma - Doctor's Guide, 6/11/03
• Long Term Study Finds Homocysteine Level A Cardiac Event Predictor - Doctor's Guide, 3/13/03
• High blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine may be a strong predictor of heart failure. - WebMD, 3/11/03
• Elevated Homocysteine Linked to Cognitive Decline in Some Patients - Doctor's Guide, 2/19/03
• Elevated Homocysteine Modest Predictor Of Ischemic Disease/Stroke Risk - Doctor's Guide, 10/23/02
• Elevated Homocysteine May Be Linked to Glaucoma - Doctor's Guide, 10/22/02 - "Hyperhomocysteinemia could be a significant risk factor for a particular type of glaucoma"
• Long-Time Hormone Therapy Lowers Postmenopausal Homocysteine - Doctor's Guide, 8/14/02 - "long-term HRT results in lower total homocysteine concentrations in all methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotypes with no demonstrable difference in effect between unopposed and opposed hormone replacement therapy"
• Homocysteine Levels May Play Role in Raynaud's Phenomenon - Doctor's Guide, 7/18/02
• Plasma Homocysteine Levels Tied To Leukoaraiosis In Alzheimer's Disease - Doctor's Guide, 5/31/02
• Alzheimer's Risk Doubles With Elevated Homocysteine - Clinical Psychiatry News, 3/02
• Regular Exercise Appears to Lower Homocysteine Levels in Stroke Patients - Doctor's Guide, 2/11/02
• Decreased Memory After Age 60 Linked To High Homocysteine Levels - Doctor's Guide, 4/26/01
• Elevated Homocysteine Linked To Greater Risk Of Stroke And Vascular Disease - Doctor's Guide, 2/16/01
• Amino acid may trigger strokes - USA Today, 2/15/01
• Homocysteine May Trigger Strokes - Intelihealth, 2/15/01 - "One way to lower homocysteine is to increase doses of the B vitamins - folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12"
• Health Focus: Homocysteine: How Important? - Intelihealth, 6/7/00
• A New Way Hotheads May Be Hurting Their Hearts - WebMD, 5/9/00
• High Homocysteine Levels Linked To Restenosis And Cardiac Death - Doctor's Guide, 3/16/00
• Study Finds "New" Cholesterol (Homocysteine) Is Key To Heart Disease - Intelihealth, 5/19/99
• Elevated Homocysteine Found In Patients With IBD - Doctor's Guide, 2/2/99
• American Heart Association Recommends Homocysteine Testing In High-Risk Patients - Doctor's Guide, 1/5/99
• Elevated Homocysteine Levels May Be Possible Risk Factor For Alzheimer Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/20/98
• Homocysteine A Possible Risk Factor For Alzheimer's - Doctor's Guide, 4/29/98
• Homocysteine -- The Hidden Cause Of Heart Attacks - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/97
• Homocysteine Linked To Methotrexate-Induced Neurotoxicity - Doctor's Guide, 8/1/97
• Discovery About Homocysteine May Lead To New Ways Of Treating Strokes - Doctor's Guide, 5/27/97
• Homocysteine New 'Risk Factor' For Coronary Heart Disease, Says Dutch Team - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/97

Affiliates (I could sure use some sales.  You can drag the links onto your desktop and use them so that I get credit for the sale.  Click here for more stores):