title: Homocysteine levels and the metabolic syndrome in a Mediterranean population: a case-control study.
abstract: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HH) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. However, whether there is a link between MS or its components and homocysteine levels in a population without cardiovascular disease is not well established. We conducted a case-control study in 61 MS patients (41 males, 20 females, aged 51 ± 11 years) and in 98 controls without MS (59 males, 39 females, aged 50 ± 10 years) to ascertain the association between MS and HH, and with inflammatory markers. MS was classified according to the updated ATPIII criteria [17]. No differences in homocysteine levels were observed when comparing MS patients and controls (12.0 ± 3.18 μM vs. 11.9 ± 3.5 μM, p = 0.829). No association was found between HH (homocysteine >15 μM) and MS, its components (abdominal obesity (p = 0.635), hypertension (0.229), low-HDL cholesterol (p = 0.491), glucose >100 mg/dL (0.485), hypertriglyceridemia (p = 0.490)) or the number of MS components (p = 272). When considering glucose >110 mg/dL (NCEP-ATPIII criteria, 2001) instead of glucose intolerancen >100 mg/dl (updated ATPIII criteria, Grundy, 2005), a borderline association with HH was observed (p = 0.054) of statistical significance (p = 0.008) when glucose >126 mg/dL was considered. In a multivariate regression model, creatinine, folic acid and vitamin B12 were the only independent predictors of homocysteine levels (p < 0.05). Although MS correlated with inflammatory parameters (fibrinogen, hs-RCP, plasma viscosity and leukocyte count, p < 0.001), no association was found between HH and the above-mentioned parameters (p > 0.05). Our results do not indicate a link between SM or its individual components with HH, and diabetes was the only relevant contribution. Cardiovascular disease risk due to MS and HH seems to share no common mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Hemorheology and Hemostasis Unit, Service of Clinical Pathology, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain. vaya amp@gva.es
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vayá
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Badia
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernandez Mijares
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine