Homocysteine and major coronary events: a prospective population study amongst women.
OBJECTIVE
To study serum homocysteine concentration for its prediction of major coronary heart disease events amongst women.


METHODS
A case-control study nested within a follow-up study. Subjects. A total of 74 and 75 major coronary events (coronary deaths or nonfatal myocardial infarction) which occurred in women with and without known heart disease, respectively, during a 13-year follow-up and two individually matched controls per case. Main outcome measure. Major coronary event.


RESULTS
Amongst women with baseline heart disease, the relative risk (95% CI) of such events, adjusted for age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, serum cholesterol and body mass index, was 3.32 (1.05-10.5) in the highest homocysteine quintile compared with the lowest quintile. Amongst women free of heart disease at baseline, the corresponding relative risk value was 0.77 (0.24-2.45).


CONCLUSIONS
This prospective study support the hypothesis that homocysteine is a risk factor for coronary events in women with heart disease.
Knekt
P
P
Department of Nutrition and Department of Health and Disability, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. paul.knekt@ktl.fi
Alfthan
G
G
Aromaa
A
A
Heliövaara
M
M
Marniemi
J
J
Rissanen
H
H
Reunanen
A
A
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D006710:Homocysteine