Formiminoglutamate

High levels can indicate:

- insufficient folic acid

- increased alcohol consumption

- excessive consumption of processed foods

- oral contraception

Smoking and pregnancy will all have a detrimental impact on folic acid absorption.

Symptoms:

Common symptoms may include:

- anemia

- fatigue

- elevated homocysteine

- ischemic heart disease

- stroke

- deep vein thrombosis.

Pregnant women especially need to have adequate folic acid to prevent birth defects.

Folic acid insufficiency can play a role in:

- childhood development problems

- depression

- immune function

Folic acid insufficiency is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Possible treatment options if high:

- consider supplementing with folic acid.

- stop consumption of alcohol.

- if homocysteine is elevated, consider using 5-methyltetrahydrofolate.

Formiminoglutamate (FIGLU) is a functional marker of insufficiency of folic acid, another B-vitamin, and is a compound made from the amino acid histidine.