title: Suppression of homocysteine levels by vitamin B12 and folates: age and gender dependency in the Jackson Heart Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To examine factors potentially contributing to premature cardiovascular disease mortality in African Americans (40% versus 20% all other populations), plasma homocysteine, serum vitamin B12 and folate levels were examined for African American participants in the Jackson Heart Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 5192 African American Jackson Heart Study participants (21-94 years), 5064 (mean age, 55 ± 13 years; 63% female) had homocysteine levels measured via fasting blood samples, with further assessments of participants' vitamin B12 (n = 1790) and folate (n = 1788) levels. Regression analyses were used to examine age, gender, vitamin B12 and folate with homocysteine levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Homocysteine levels, a purported surrogate risk factor for cardiovascular disease, increased with age, were inversely proportional to folate and vitamin B12 levels (P < 0.001) and were higher for men of all ages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that, as with other populations, age, gender, vitamin B12 and folate may predict homocysteine levels for African Americans. Diet may be an important predictive factor as well, given the relationships that were observed between plasma homocysteine and serum B vitamin levels.
authors.affiliation: Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, USA. ohenry@umc.edu
authors.forename: Olivia R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Hamed
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benghuzzi
authors.forename: Herman A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tucci
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008922:Mississippi; D012737:Sex Factors; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12