Doctors in Goa have gathered to talk about the little known risk factors of hyperhomocysteinemia; the condition which can eventually lead to heart disease.

Some of the risk factors include the following: heart attacks, paralytic strokes and other complicated diseases.

Aziz Keshwani, executive member of the Indian Study Group of Homocysteine (ISGH), says doctors are uniting under ISGH's name to promote awareness about this risk.

In developing countries such as India, hear attacks and strokes are increases significantly. WHO is now calling it a "modern day epidemic."

Keshwani describes that the risk-factor associated with hyper-homocysteinemia is quite significant along with other factors that can predispose a person to heart attacks and strokes such as aging, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, family history, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol.

Interestingly, the Indian population has a genetic predisposition for hyper-homocysteinemia. Secondly, the diet in India is often lacking in the three Bcomplex vitamins required to reduce homocysteine levels - vitamin B12, folic acid, and pridoxine.