[Study of unmatched cases and controls: hyperhomocysteinaemia and chronic ischaemic cardiopathy].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the extent of the association between hyperhomocysteinaemia and chronic ischaemic heart disease.


METHODS
Unmatched, case-control (1:3) study.


METHODS
Pintores Health Centre, Area 10, Primary Care, Madrid, Spain.


METHODS
Patients of the health centre over 35 with chronic ischaemic heart disease or without it.


METHODS
Consecutive, non-randomized sample. Analysis of cases and controls with chi2 test and odds ratio (OR). The quantitative variables were analysed with the Student's t test.


RESULTS
The 76.32% (87/114) of cases had 2 or more cardiovascular risk factors versus 33.56% (99/265) in the control group (P<.0001). Average homocysteinaemia was 10.07 micromol/L (SD, 3.64) in the control group; and 12.74 (SD, 4.59) in the cases group. The difference between the averages (2.67 micromol/L; 95% CI, 1.82-3.52) was significant (P<.001). The difference (16.07%; 95% CI, 6.91-25.23) in hyperhomocysteinaemia (> or =15 micromol/L) between cases (28.95%, 33/114) and controls (12.88%, 38/295) was significant (P=.0001), with an association between hyperhomocysteinaemia and chronic ischaemic heart disease (OR=2.76; 95% CI, 1.62-4.68). This association increased (OR=3.26; 95% CI, 2.07-5.13) when hyperhomocysteinaemia was taken as > or =12 micromol/L, with a significant difference of 27% (95% CI, 16.59-37.41) (P<.0001) between cases (51.75%, 59/114) and controls (24.75%, 73/295).


CONCLUSIONS
The risk factor of hyperhomocysteinaemia > or =15 micromol/L was significantly associated (OR=2.76) with chronic ischaemic heart disease. This association was greater (OR=3.26) when hyperhomocysteinaemia was taken as > or =12 micromol/L.
Gallego-Luis
R
R
Unidad de Lípidos y Prevención Cardiovascular, Area 10 Atención Primaria IMSALUD, Madrid, Spain.
Ruiz-García
A
A
Gordillo-López
F J
FJ
Díaz-Puente
M V
MV
Esteban
J
J
Gil de Miguel
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors