Serum homocysteine concentration is related to diabetes mellitus, but not to coronary heart disease, in Saudi Arabians.
BACKGROUND
Plasma homocysteine (HCYS) concentration is believed to be an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis.


METHODS
HCYS was measured in a cohort of 584 Saudi Arabians participating in a national screening study of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. A total of 173 subjects (114 men and 59 women) had clinical CHD, of whom 82 (47.4%) had type 2 diabetes mellitus (56 men and 26 women). A further 127 subjects (60 men and 67 women) also had type 2 diabetes mellitus but no CHD. A total of 284 individuals (120 men and 164 women) were recruited as healthy controls, and had no previous history of CHD or diabetes. Serum HCYS was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection.


RESULTS
Univariate analysis showed HCYS concentrations were significantly lower in those with diabetes mellitus (DM) than in controls, for both men [8.7 (4.2-18.6) vs. 10.5 (4.5-20.5) mmol/l, median (5th-95th percentiles, p = 0.009] and women [6.3 (3.3-24.0) vs. 8.1 (4.0-17.9) mmol/l, p = 0.049]. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis indicated a relationship between HCYS concentration and age, sex and the presence of DM, but not with CHD.


CONCLUSIONS
In the Saudi Arabian population, serum HCYS is not a risk factor for CHD, but is lower in patients with DM.
Al-Nozah
M
M
College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Daghri
N
N
Bartlett
W A
WA
Al-Attas
O
O
Al-Maatouq
M
M
Martin
S C
SC
Kumar
S
S
Jones
A F
AF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D014280:Triglycerides; D006710:Homocysteine; D002784:Cholesterol