title: Age, homocysteine, and oxidative stress: relation to hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress are independent risk factors for cardiovascular events, which occur more frequently in old age. We evaluated these parameters in relation to age and the presence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred eighty-two subjects (female/male: 142/140; 141 were >65 years and 141 were <65 years; mean age 73.9 +/- 6.6 years and 52.5 +/- 8.2 years, respectively) were randomly recruited from those attending our institution. Blood pressure, anthropometric parameters, oxidative stress parameters (reactive oxygen species [ROS] and malondialdehyde [MDA]), and homocysteine levels were evaluated in participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Homocysteine (2.9 +/- 0.06 vs. 2.3 +/- 0.03 micromol/L, p < 0.001) and oxidative stress (ROS: 10.8 +/- 0.3 vs. 8.1 +/- 0.3 mmol/L, p < 0.001; MDA: 1.62 +/- 0.05 vs. 1.21 +/- 0.05 nmol/mL, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in older vs. younger subjects without hypertension or diabetes. However, homocysteine and MDA were not significantly different in older vs. younger hypertensive subjects (homocysteine: 3.0 +/- 0.03 vs. 2.9 +/- 0.04 micromol/L, p = NS; MDA: 1.7 +/- 0.07 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.06 nmol/mL, p = NS) and in older vs. younger diabetic hypertensive subjects (homocysteine: 3.02 +/- 0.05 vs. 2.9 +/- 0.05 micromol/L, p = NS; ROS: 10.7 +/- 0.7 vs. 9.7 +/- 0.8 mmol/L, p = NS; MDA: 1.6 +/- 0.10 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.12 nmol/mL, p = NS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aging is accompanied by elevated homocysteine and oxidative stress levels similar to those observed in younger subjects with hypertension or diabetes mellitus, independent of age. Hence, these conditions appear to accelerate the age-dependent increase in homocysteine and oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Emerging Pathologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. mabar@unipa.it
authors.forename: Ligia J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Dominguez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galioto
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pineo
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferlisi
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciaccio
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Putignano
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belvedere
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costanza
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbagallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006710:Homocysteine; D008315:Malondialdehyde