title: Plasma homocysteine levels increase following stress in older but not younger men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases with age. Some evidence suggests that mental stress may increase plasma homocysteine (Hcy), an amino acid relating to CVD. However, none of these studies assessed age effects on Hcy stress reactivity, nor did they control for age. The objective of this study was (a) to investigate whether Hcy reactivity to psychosocial stress differs between younger and middle-aged to older men and (b) to study whether psychosocial stress induces Hcy increases independent of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty eight younger (20-30 years) and 22 middle-aged to older (47-65 years) apparently healthy men underwent an acute standardized psychosocial stress task combining public speaking and mental arithmetic in front of an audience. Blood samples for Hcy measurements were obtained immediately before and after, as well as 10 and 20min after stress. Moreover, salivary cortisol was repeatedly measured to test the effectiveness of the stress task in triggering a neuroendocrine stress response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hcy reactivity to stress differed between age groups (F(1.4, 60.7)=5.41, p=.014). While the older group displayed an increase in the Hcy response to stress (F(2.5, 39.8)=3.86, p=.022), Hcy levels in the younger group did not change (p=.27). Psychosocial stress per se did not change Hcy levels independent of age (p=.53).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that psychosocial stress does not evoke an Hcy response per se, but only in interaction with age pointing to a mechanism by which mental stress may increase CVD risk in older individuals.
authors: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Ulrike
authors: U
authors: Kuebler
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Linnebank
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Semmler
authors: Birgit
authors: B
authors: Stoffel-Wagner
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: La Marca
authors: Ulrike
authors: U
authors: Ehlert
authors: Petra H
authors: PH
authors: Wirtz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D006854:Hydrocortisone