title: Cardiovascular fitness is negatively associated with homocysteine levels in female adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between cardiovascular fitness and homocysteine levels in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Madrid, Murcia, Granada, Santander, and Zaragoza, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fifty-six Spanish adolescents (76 boys and 80 girls) aged (mean +/- SD) 14.8 +/- 1.4 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cardiovascular fitness was measured by the 20-m shuttle run test. Pubertal stage, birth weight, smoking status, and socioeconomic status were determined, and the sum of 6 skinfold thickness measurements, and serum folic acid and vitamin B(12) levels were measured. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR; 677C>T genotype) polymorphism was done by DNA sequencing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fasting homocysteine levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean values of homocysteine were significantly higher in the MTHFR 677CT and TT genotype subgroups compared with the CC genotype subgroup in adolescent boys, whereas in adolescent girls, mean values of homocysteine were significantly higher in the MTHFR 677CT and TT genotype subgroup compared with the CC and CT genotype subgroups. Multiple regression analyses showed that cardiovascular fitness was significantly associated with homocysteine levels in female adolescents after controlling for potential confounders including the MTHFR 677C>T genotype (beta = -0.40; semipartial correlation = -0.35; P = .007). No associations were found between cardiovascular fitness and homocysteine levels in male adolescents (beta = 0.12; semipartial correlation = 0.08; P = .51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that cardiovascular fitness is negatively associated with homocysteine levels in female adolescents after controlling for potential cofounders including MTHFR 677C>T genotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Spain. ruizj@ugr.es
authors.forename: Jonatan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sola
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Gross
authors.forename: Francisco B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: German
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vicente-Rodriguez
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia-Fuentes
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sjöström
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pietrzik
authors.forename: Manuel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Castillo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D014805:Vitamin B 12