title: Homocysteine levels in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abundant epidemiological evidence has demonstrated that the presence of mild to moderate hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis in the coronary, cerebral, and peripheral vasculature, and for vascular disease, including coronary disease. It has been demonstrated that plasma total homocysteine level is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study was undertaken to determine the extent of homocysteine levels in patients without documented coronary artery disease, but with at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasting blood samples were collected prospectively from 160 consecutive patients (50 women and 110 men, mean age 65+/-7 years) who had at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis, but had no documented coronary artery disease. Homocysteine levels were measured by an immunoassay method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients studied, 78 (48.75%) with at least one risk factor for atherosclerosis had high homocysteine levels; 62 patients had mild hyperhomocysteinemia (15-30 micromol/l); and 16 patients had moderate hyperhomocysteinemia (30-100 micromol/l).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia is highly prevalent in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis. Homocysteine level (an independent convertible risk factor to atherosclerosis) should be measured routinely in patients with risk factors for atherosclerosis and treated appropriately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Poria Hospital, Lower Galilee, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lupovitch
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khazim
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peleg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gumanovsky
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yeganeh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jawabreh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016231:Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine