EXPLAINER: Medicine's Forgotten Biomarker - The Homocysteine Story Your Doctor Missed

In 1969, Harvard pathologist Kilmer McCully discovered elevated homocysteine causes arterial damage and heart disease. He was forced out of Harvard. The Framingham Heart Study confirmed him. Then the AHA buried it anyway.CHAPTERS:00:00 - McCully discovery and suppression01:20 - Part 1: What homocysteine does to arteries (6 mechanisms)03:25 - Part 2: The evidence they ignored03:40 - Every 5 umol/L: 20-30% higher CAD risk, 60% stroke risk04:50 - Alzheimers risk +48% (meta-analysis, 7,474 subjects)06:10 - Part 3: Why it was abandoned (VISP, NORVIT, HOPE-2)07:50 - Cochrane: B vitamins reduced stroke 10%08:20 - CSPPT: folic acid reduced stroke 21% to 73%09:10 - Part 4: Your brain on homocysteine09:25 - VITACOG: brain atrophy 30% slower, 53% in high-Hcy group10:05 - PNAS 2013: 7x less hippocampal atrophy11:00 - Part 5: What to do11:10 - Test fasting homocysteine: target under 8-10 umol11:40 - Methylfolate, methylcobalamin, P5PREFERENCES:Homocysteine CVD Risk 2025: PMC12564181VITACOG Trial (PLoS ONE, 2010): PMC2935890VITACOG 2025 Metabolomics: PubMed 40684250Homocysteine Alzheimers Risk: PMC12280720Cochrane B Vitamins Stroke: CochraneCSPPT Folic Acid: ACCJAMA 2010 Meta-Analysis: JAMAHOST: Dr. Robert Lufkin MD | robertlufkinmd.com⭐ Enjoying the show? Please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the science of health and longevity. Thank you!New episodes every other Tuesday. Subscribe so you don't miss one.Continue this conversation on Substack: https://robertlufkinmd.substack.comLies I Taught In Medical School — Free sample chapter: https://www.robertlufkinmd.com/lies/Web: https://www.robertlufkinmd.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/robertlufkinmdX: https://x.com/robertlufkinmdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlufkinmd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@robertlufkinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertlufkinmd/