title: High-normal serum homocysteine concentrations are associated with an increased risk of early atherosclerotic carotid artery wall lesions in healthy subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia is common in the general population and has been linked with systemic atherosclerotic vascular disease. We studied the relation of sonographically determined carotid intima-media wall thickness to serum homocysteine concentrations in asymptomatic, healthy subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five male and female untreated subjects (mean age 49 years, range 22-75) with normal serum folate concentrations were included. High-resolution duplex sonography was used to determine intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery. Serum homocysteine concentration was measured by high-performance liquid chromotography with fluorescence detection. Mean intima-media thickness (+/- SD) was 0.78 +/- 0.19 mm (range 0.5-1.35) and mean serum homocysteine concentration was 10.5 +/- 2.81 micromol/l (range 5.7-19.6). In stepwise regression models, statistically significant predictors of intima-media thickness included age, body mass index, LDL cholesterol and homocysteine (R2 = 0.51). Homocysteine concentration was independently associated with intima-media thickness after adjustment for the other variables (P < 0.001) and explained an additional 18% of the variation of intima-media thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In healthy subjects, high-normal serum homocysteine concentrations are associated with an increased prevalence of carotid artery wall thickening. The significance of the contribution of homocysteine to the variation of carotid intima-media thickness, even at concentrations previously believed to be normal, suggests a role for homocysteine as an independent risk factor for early carotid artery atherosclerosis in the asymptomatic subjects.
authors.affiliation: Medical University Policlinic Bonn, Germany. Willinek@uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Willinek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lennarz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Höller
authors.forename: K O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Stumpe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid