This is a story about an innovative doctor that was ridiculed in the 1980’s. His theory concerning vascular degeneration and heart disease was so novel that his contemporaries completely disregarded it. Yet today, he is hailed by many as a visionary.
It is also a story about an important medical test you probably never heard of, but should ask for.
I will tell you about the test and why you need it, but first the story of the doctor and the discovery that may save your life.
Although cholesterol has been blamed for atherosclerosis and heart disease for decades, there is still controversy about whether cholesterol is truly the causative factor in vascular degeneration.
Recently, research has been mounting that points to a different culprit. The amino acid homocysteine has become recognized as a molecule that is a highly reliable marker for impending heart attacks or stroke. Yet, homocysteine levels are rarely tested. Later in this article you will learn why.
The homocysteine story begins with the work of Dr. Kilmer S. McCully.
At one time Dr. McCully, a professor of pathology, enjoyed the prestige of working with elite researchers and doctors at Harvard University Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
During this time he observed that two infants with an often fatal genetic condition known as homocystinuria were found to have extensive atherosclerotic plaques in their blood vessels. Homocystinuria is a rare condition that results in the body producing excessive levels of homocysteine.
Atherosclerosis, otherwise known as hardening of the arteries, is something usually found in older people. Finding this degenerative condition in infants alarmed Dr. McCully. He theorized that the development of the arterial plaque was related to the homocysteine levels.
His department supervisor at the time saw the merit of his theory and encouraged him, as well as helped him secure research grants. During the next decade, he was able to further define the relationship between homocysteine and advanced vascular and heart disease.
However, when his department supervisor retired, his successor was not as supportive of the research. He moved Dr. McCully to a basement office with little support and funds eventually dried up.
Without funding or support, Dr. McCully eventually lost his desirable position at Harvard and was forced to accept other employment that would not provide him opportunity to advance his research.
However, McCully was compelled to continue his search for answers on his own. He saw that homocysteine was likely involved with a disease that takes the lives of more than a thousand people every day.
He recognized that the primary reason that his research was killed was that it was not likely to make money. Pharmaceutical companies make billions of dollars each year selling medicine to reduce cholesterol. In the 1980’s as well as today, money drives the medical research industry.
Unfortunately, although homocysteine was emerging as a killer, there was no indication that a drug could be marketed to prevent it. In fact, to reduce homocysteine levels, all most patients have to do is modify their dietary habits, exercise more and take certain vitamins. There’s no money in that for drug companies or doctors.
After Dr. McCully’s fall from grace in the research world, his homocysteine theory was quickly forgotten. Cholesterol was the only topic of conversation that the vascular disease research community was interested in.
To say that cholesterol makes money is the understatement of history. Cholesterol drugs called statins are the most prescribed drug class among all pharmaceuticals, producing more than $30 billion per year.
Today, largely as a result of Dr. McCully’s persistence in the research on the association between homocysteine, heart disease and stroke, many medical experts are recommending that patients be tested for homocysteine.
Ironically, even Harvard now recommends homocysteine testing.
Next week: Learn why you should be tested and how to deal with elevated homocysteine levels.