title: [Relations between serum homocysteinemia and carotid artery plaques].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relation between homocysteinemia (HCY) and carotid artery plaque.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were derived from a cohort of Kailuan study, which was a community-based and cross-sectional. From June 2010 to June 2011, a total of 5852 subjects were selected from 101 510 working or retired employees at the Tangshan Kailuan Company in 2006 - 2007. Data was extracted from the results of health examination on the employees. Selecting process was carried out by those staff working on the clinical trials on stroke and from the research center of Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University. Subjects who were beyond 40 years of age but without histories as previous stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or myocardial infarction were included and identified, to take part in the study through stratified random sampling. Finally, 5440 eligible subjects were enrolled and data from 5377 subjects were analyzed. All the information was obtained through unified questionnaire, blood tests and carotid artery ultrasonography. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the factors related to carotid artery plagues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The baseline results showed that the average age of the subjects (n = 5377) was 55.18 ± 11.78 years old with 3215 as males. All the subjects were divided into three groups by tertiles of HCY, with 1771 subjects in the first quartile group (HCY < 11.00 µmol/L), 1814 in the second quartile group (11.00-16.98 µmol/L) and 1792 in the third quartile group (≥ 16.98 µmol/L). 2300 subjects were identified as having carotid artery plaques. (2) The prevalence rates of carotid artery plaques in the three groups were 29.9%, 43.3% and 55.0% respectively. (3) After multivariable adjustment, the third quartile HCY was still serving as a risk factor, affecting the formation of carotid artery plaques, with the OR values as 1.344 (95%CI: 1.134 - 1.594).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High HCY was related to the increased prevalence of carotid artery plaque and thus served as a risk factor for carotid artery plaque.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Linxi Hospital, Kailuan Medical Group, Tangshan 063103, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Zhang-feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shuo-hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiang-xin
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shou-ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xing-quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors