Total plasma homocysteine values among elderly subjects: findings from the Maracaibo Aging Study.
OBJECTIVE
The present study generated baseline data for total homocysteine (tHcy) in elderly Caribbeans of Hispanic ancestry, residing in Venezuela, their country of origin.


METHODS
2106 participants in the Maracaibo Aging Study (MAS), older than 55 years, underwent standardized clinical and laboratory assessments, including measurement of plasma tHcy levels, folate, and vitamin B12 in fasting samples.


RESULTS
tHcy concentration in the healthy, normative group ranged from 4.1 to 31.8 micromol/L, with a median of 11.5+/-4.7 micromol/L. tHcy level increased with age, was significantly higher in men than in women, and exhibited inverse correlations with folate and vitamin B12.


CONCLUSIONS
tHcy levels of the MAS participants were generally higher than levels previously reported for community-dwelling elderly populations from other countries. The normative centile curves for tHcy can be used in disease risk analysis for this population, and possibly for other Hispanic populations residing in the Caribbean.
Molero
Aldrin E
AE
Laboratory of Neurosciences, Institute for Biological Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zulia, Apdo. Postal 10.636, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Altimari
Carmen C
CC
Duran
Dariana A
DA
Garcia
Esperanza
E
Pino-Ramirez
Gloria
G
Maestre
Gladys E
GE
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D014687:Venezuela
D006710:Homocysteine