Waist-to-hip ratio correlates with homocysteine levels in male patients with coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Obesity and homocysteine are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The relation between pattern of obesity and homocysteine is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between pattern of obesity and plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) level in male patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
A total of 63 male patients (mean age 66.2 years) with angiographically documented CAD were enrolled. Overnight fasting blood samples were measured for plasma tHcy, serum folic acid and serum vitamin B12 levels. Anthropometric measurements included waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI).


RESULTS
The mean WHR was 0.90+/-0.05, mean BMI 24.6+/-3.3 kg/m2 and the mean plasma tHcy level 11.6+/-3.2 micromol/L. In univariate analysis, plasma tHcy level correlated significantly with serum vitamin B12 level, serum folic acid level, WHR, estimated creatinine clearance, aspirin use and fibrate use. There was no significant association between plasma tHcy level and BMI. In multivariate analysis, only WHR (beta-value 22.263, p<0.001), serum level of vitamin B12 (beta-value -0.004, p=0.003), estimated creatinine clearance (beta-value -4.154, p=0.003) and use of fibrates (beta-value 2.307, p=0.031) were independent predictors of plasma tHcy level.


CONCLUSIONS
WHR, but not BMI, is a strong independent predictor of plasma tHcy level in male patients with CAD.
Lin
Yen-Hung
YH
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Pao
Kuan-Yin
KY
Yang
Wei-Shiung
WS
Wu
Vin-Cent
VC
Chen
Yu-Jen
YJ
Lin
Yu-Li
YL
Tsai
Wei-Shan
WS
Tsai
I-Jung
IJ
Gau
Churn-Shiouh
CS
Hwang
Juey-Jen
JJ
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12