Using homoscysteine levels as a biomarker for cardiovascular risk is more accurate than other ways of assessing risk, according to new research.

A Dutch study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that homocysteine was a better predictor of heart problems than using the Framingham risk score, which takes into account cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking habits.

The researchers found that looking at homocysteine levels resulted in a 23 percent rise in people correctly being labeled as high-risk.

This particular study looked at risk among people over 85. According to lead researcher Dr Wouter de Ruijter, these findings demonstrate that homocysteine can be used to assess a number of age groups.

“Homocysteine has for four decades been in the center of our attention for cardiovascular risk,” he told heartwire. “It is a good predictor of cardiovascular risk in younger age groups and we have shown here that it keeps on doing so in the very elderly.”

The scientists also looked at folic acid, C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 as potential biomarkers, but found homocysteine to be the most accurate.