title: Plasma homocysteine in 80-year-olds: relationships to medical, psychological and social variables.
abstract: Plasma homocysteine concentrations in a group of 80-year-old persons were related to symptoms and signs. Plasma homocysteine concentrations higher than 15 micromol/l were associated with lower total life satisfaction (P<0.01), mood (P<0.05), zest for life (P<0.05), lower scores for reasoning (P<0.05), spatial ability (P<0.05), memory recognition (P<0.05), and subjective health (P<0.01). In an instrument comprising of 30 symptoms, plasma homocysteine concentrations higher than 15 micromol/l were associated with impaired concentration (P<0.05), restlessness (P<0.05), feeling cold (P<0.05), loss of weight (P<0.05), and feeling depressed (P<0.01). The above data indicate that plasma homocysteine values over 15 micromol/l could be relevant markers for clinical intervention.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Section, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Lund, S-221 85 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dehlin
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Erfurth
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hagberg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Samuelsson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hultberg