A simple blood test that can be conducted in the comfort of your own home can help you better understand your health and lower risk of illnesses such as cardiovascular disease later on in life.
Developed by YorkTest Laboratories, who are famed for their innovative food intolerance and allergy tests, the test collects blood which is then analysed for homocysteine levels.
Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in raised levels in blood plasma when body chemistry is out of balance. When you have raised levels your body is at more risk of potential illnesses.
The importance of homocysteine as a risk factor is becoming more widely accepted. There are an increasing number of studies that show that homocysteine to be a predictor of potential health problems. Raised plasma homocysteine concentrations can both predict and precede the development of cardiovascular disease including stroke.
A study published in 2010 in the British Medical Journal, showed that homocysteine levels in blood plasma predicts risk of death from cardiovascular disease in older people even better than any conventional measure of risk including cholesterol, blood pressure or smoking. Women with high homocysteine levels find it harder to conceive and are at risk from repeated early miscarriage. Raised levels of homocysteine have also been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, declining memory, poor concentration and judgement and lowered mood. Recent research from Oxford University has shown that large doses of vitamin B could halve the rate of brain shrinkage associated with memory loss and dementia in the elderly, and, in the study, it was the elderly people with higher levels of homocysteine that had greater brain shrinkage.
The homocysteine test by YorkTest is innovative in that it uses a patented plasma separator blood collection device that enables the immediate separation of red blood cells and plasma. This is critical in order for the test to work and be analysed. Once the blood sample is collected it can then be posted back to their laboratory for testing. YorkTest Laboratories claim that, when sampling using the device, samples are stable for up to 10 days.
If the results are returned and you are found to have raised homocysteine levels then simple dietary changes can be made which can help normalise the levels thereby avoiding risks later on in life.
YorkTest have over 25 years experience in home testing including food and allergy testing and are recommended by leading medical charity Allergy UK. The homocysteine test is available to buy online at yorktest.com for £99 or by calling 0800 074 6185.
