title: Total homocysteine is associated with white matter hyperintensity volume: the Northern Manhattan Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Total homocysteine (tHcy) has been implicated as a risk factor for stroke and dementia, but the mechanism is unclear. White matter hyperintensities may be a risk factor for both, but studies of the relationship between tHcy and quantitative measures of white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV) are lacking, especially in minority populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based sample of 259 subjects with baseline tHcy levels underwent pixel-based quantitative measurement of WMHV. We examined the relationship between tHcy and WMHV adjusting for age, sociodemographics, vascular risk factors, and B12 deficiency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher levels of tHcy were associated with WMHV adjusting for sociodemographics and vascular risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These cross-sectional data provide evidence that tHcy is a risk factor for white matter damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA. cbw7@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Clinton B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Myunghee C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Truman R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Sally P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stabler
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Ralph L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: DeCarli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000150:complications; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine