Increased plasma homocysteine is an independent predictor of new atherothrombotic brain infarction in older persons.
A prospective study investigated the association of plasma homocysteine and other risk factors with the incidence of atherothrombotic brain infarction (ABI) at 31 +/- 9 month follow-up in 153 men and 347 women (mean age 81 +/- 9 years, median age 82). The stepwise Cox regression model showed that significant independent predictors of new ABI in older persons were age (risk ratio 1.060 for each 1-year increase of age), plasma homocysteine (risk ratio 1.079 for each 1 micromol/L increase), prior ABI infarction (risk ratio 3.282), current cigarette smoking (risk ratio 2.687), hypertension (risk ratio 2.965), and diabetes mellitus (risk ratio 2.015).
Aronow
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Hebrew Hospital Home, Bronx, New York 10475, USA.
Ahn
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Gutstein
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D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000150:complications*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D020767:Intracranial Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects