What is amino acid quantitation – free homocysteine?

Also known as: free homocysteine blood test, serum homocysteine.

Homocysteine is a compound that occurs in the blood as a byproduct of amino acid metabolism. Elevated homocysteine levels can be an indicator of diseases related to the heart or blood vessels. An amino acid quantitation – free homocysteine test can be useful in checking free homocysteine levels in the blood and diagnosing these disorders.

What happens during the procedure?

All that’s required for the test is a basic blood draw, typically from the arm but sometimes from another area of the body. Then the blood sample is taken to a laboratory for testing.

Is any special preparation needed?

No special preparation is needed for the test.

What are the risk factors?

There are slights risks of infection, bleeding, bruising or swelling related to the blood draw.

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Reviewed by: Paul Cardenas, MD

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM