title: Homocysteine, vitamin B(6), and lipid in cardiovascular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). An elevated plasma Hcy level may interact with conventional CVD risk factors to further increase vascular disease risk. Therefore, we investigated the plasma levels of Hcy, vitamin B(6) status (pyridoxal phosphate and pyridoxal), and lipid profile in patients with CVD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Possible associations between sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) to levels of plasma Hcy and plasma Hcy to vitamin B(6) status and lipid profile were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma Hcy level, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio were significantly higher in patients with CVD than in controls. Male CVD patients had significantly higher plasma Hcy levels than did female patients. Plasma levels of pyridoxal phosphate and total B(6) aldehyde were significantly higher in male than in female patients. Plasma Hcy levels of patients did not correlate to their plasma vitamin B(6) status or to their lipid profiles. Plasma Hcy level correlated positively with age, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This suggested that patients with CVD have higher levels of plasma Hcy that are influenced by sex, age, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio and not by their plasma vitamin B(6) status and lipid profiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 701, R.O.C. sjchang@mail.ncku.edu.tw
authors.forename: Sue-Joan
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Chen-Nen
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jee-Ching
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ying-Shiung
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chen-Hsiang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000097:blood; D025101:Vitamin B 6 / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D006710:Homocysteine; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D025101:Vitamin B 6; D002784:Cholesterol