Total plasma homocysteine concentrations in Puerto Rican patients with presumptive atherosclerotic coronary disease.
BACKGROUND
In Puerto Rico, it has been established that although coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death, the population has a lower incidence of coronary disease than the continental United States. In addition, the severity of the disease is less aggressive in terms of a lower incidence of ventricular tachycardia and sudden death. A factor in the lower incidence of coronary disease in Puerto Rico could be a lower total plasma homocysteine concentration (tHcys) in our population.


METHODS
We randomly measured tHcys concentrations in seventy-two Hispanic patients who were hospitalized for coronary angiography at the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean (UPR Division).


RESULTS
The mean tHCys concentration in our patient population is similar than that reported for the Framingham study when adjusted by age (11.2 mumol/L vs. 11.8 mumol/L). In the Puerto Rican population, males had a higher tHcys concentration than females but this difference was not statistically significant (10.9 mumol/L vs. 9.4 mumol/L, p = 0.09). In addition, we did not see an increase of tHcys concentrations in diabetic patients when compared with nondiabetics (10.1 mumol/L vs. 10.3 mumol/L, p = 0.73). Neither we saw a direct correlation between tHcys concentrations and atherosclerosis as measured by coronary angiography (normal = 10.9 mumol/L, mild = 8.6 mumol/L, moderate = 10.9 mumol/L, severe = 10.5 mumol/L; ANOVA = 0.29).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that tHcys concentration is not a good predictor of atherosclerotic coronary disease in our patient population.
Rodríguez
J F
JF
Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan. j_rodriguez@rcmaxp.upr.clu.edu
Rodríguez
J L
JL
Escobales
N
N
Cruz
D
D
Banch
H
H
Rivera
C
C
Altieri
P I
PI
D000792:Angiography; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D006710:Homocysteine