الفهرس 
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Abstract
Menopause, which is associated with a decrease in estrogen levels, is thought to be a major determinant of the rising incidence of cardiovascular disease in women after middle age (Van der Schouw et al., 1996).
Reiss et al. reported basal homocysteinemia significantly higher in men than women which increased significantly after menopause in women, approaching those in men (Reiss et al., 1999). This is most probably due to estrogen deficiency because in young women where estrogen production is high, serum lipids and Hcy levels are normal (Knopp, 2002).
Folic acid supplementation effectively lowers elevated total plasma homocysteine concentrations (Homocysteine Lowering Trialists’ Collaboration, 1998). Folic acid supplementation has also been associated with a reduction in carotid atherosclerosis progression (Hodis et al., 2009).
We studied 100 healthy Egyptian women; 20 of them were premenopausal (Group C) while the rest 80 were postmenopausal (who were further divided into equal two groups; group A who received folic acid for 6 weeks and group B who received placebo for the same period). The study was conducted during the period from June 2010 to June 2011 to assess the serum homocysteine level to prove that after menopause there is an increase of serum homocysteine level in comparison to premenopausal women. Moreover, we tried to prove that serum homocysteine level decreases after intake of 5mg folic acid for six weeks.
In our study, serum homocysteine was found to be statistically significantly higher in postmenopausal women in comparison to premenopausal women. Furthermore, we found statistically significant reduction in serum homocysteine of postmenopausal women after receiving 5mg folic acid for six weeks which is in agreement with several studies.
So, according to our study, we advice any postmenopausal women that she should receive folic acid to obtain reduction of serum homocysteine which is a risk factor for atherosclerosis, heart diseases, strokes and osteoporosis.