title: Plasma homocysteine--a marker of vascular disease in elderly patients with mental illness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is elevated in elderly patients with mental illness, and patients with vascular disease have higher plasma tHcy concentration than patients without vascular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the influence of cobalamin/folate status and renal function on the association between plasma tHcy levels and vascular disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a similar degree of significant difference in plasma tHcy levels between patients with and without vascular disease in all enrolled patients and in a group of patients where all those with signs of cobalamin/folate deficiency and/or impaired renal function had been excluded. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that the age-adjusted plasma tHcy was the main predictor of vascular disease in both groups of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that the presence of vascular disease itself is associated with elevated levels of plasma tHcy. Plasma tHcy might be a marker of vascular disease in elderly patients with mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychogeriatrics, Clinical Science, Lund University Hospital, S 22185 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gustafson
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hultberg
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12