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Physiological factors (“physiological”: also know as “this is not a
disease”)
- Higher age
- Being male
- Menopause in
women
- High muscle
mass
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Dietary factors
- Low intake of folate
(folic acid), vitamin B12, and/or vitamin B6
- Drinking coffee [This does not mean that drinking coffee is unhealthy.]
- Drinking alcohol [This does not mean that drinking alcohol in moderate amounts is unhealthy - although it may be.]
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Other lifestyle factors
- Smoking cigarettes
- Lack of physical
activity
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Diseases (also known as “something’s not healthy here”)
- Folate, vitamin
B12, or vitamin B6 deficiency (Vitamin B12 deficiency is the one that is most
relevant for vegans and vegetarians. A deficiency in folate or vitamin B6 does
not usually occur in vegans. Vegans typically have a very high intake of
folate.)
- Renal
impairment (i.e. impaired kidney function; kidney disease)
- Hypothyroidism
(which can be caused by iodine deficiency or iodine and selenium deficiency)
- Diabetes
mellitus (also known as just “diabetes”; the pancreas isn’t working
properly.)
- Psoriasis (an
inflammatory skin disease)
- Malignancies
(also know as cancer)
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Medications
- Lipid-lowering medications (namely: cholestyramine, nicotinic acid, fibric acid derivatives [e.g.,
fenofibrate]; NOT statins; “lipid-lowering” means cholesterol-lowering drugs)
- Anticonvulsants
(namely: phenytoin or carbamazepine; “anticonvulsants” are medications to
control seizures.)
- Sex hormones (androgens;
this means “testosterone supplements” also known as “steroid”, “anabolics”,
or “anabolic steroids”, the ones that some bodybuilders use.)
- Antirheumatic
drugs (namely: methotrexate)
- Some other
medications (namely: ciclosporin, diuretics, levodopa, methionine loading
medications [oral, intravenous, peritoneal], theophylline, trimethoprim)
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Genetic factors (i.e. genetic predisposition; these are all problems with the functioning of some enzyme.) - Homozygosity for 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism (which causes decreased activity of this enzyme; this one is common.)
- Cystathionine gamma-lyase deficiency (This one is common.)
- Heterozygosity for cystathionine β synthase (CBS) deficiency (This one is uncommon.)
- Homocystinuria (caused by homozygous CBS deficiency) (This one is very rare.)
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Based on:
