True or False? Plasma levels of homocysteine are measured as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced during the metabolism of methionine. Elevated levels of homocysteine in plasma have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease (CAD). Research has indicated that hyperhomocysteinemia (high levels of homocysteine) can damage the arterial walls and promote thrombus formation, thereby contributing to the development of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular conditions.

Due to these findings, measuring plasma homocysteine levels has been proposed as an independent risk factor for CAD. This means that even when accounting for other traditional risk factors such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and smoking status, high homocysteine levels can still provide additional information regarding a person's risk for developing heart disease.

The other options suggest various limitations to the measurement of homocysteine levels as a risk factor, which are not supported by the broader consensus in medical literature. Thus, understanding homocysteine’s role in coronary artery disease reinforces the rationale for measuring its levels to assess cardiovascular risk.