Kilmer S. McCully, a Harvard Medical School pathologist, died at 91, remembered for his groundbreaking yet contentious work on homocysteine as a risk factor for heart disease. In the 1960s and 70s, he posited that vitamin B deficiencies raise homocysteine levels leading to arterial plaque, which ran counter to the mainstream focus on cholesterol. Despite his evidence, he was marginalized by his colleagues who shifted him to a basement lab and ultimately forced him out. His theory remained under debate and his contributions largely unrecognized during his lifetime.
Dr. McCully believed it was malpractice to ignore the significance of homocysteine in heart disease despite facing professional backlash and being shunned by his peers.
His theory proposed that inadequate intake of B vitamins could result in high homocysteine levels, leading to plaque build-up in arteries, challenging cholesterol-focused beliefs.
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