title: Serum homocysteine level in vegetarians in District Tharparker, Sindh.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of present study was to investigate serum homocysteine levels in apparently healthy vegetarians and ominvores in Mithi, district Tharparker, Sindh, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, Basic Medical Sciences Institute (BMSI), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi and blood samples were collected from Mithi, district Tharparker, Sindh, Pakistan, in 2012. One hundred vegetarian and one hundred omnivores (age ranging from 20-40 years) were enrolled for this study. Serum homocysteine levels were measured by the chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum homocysteine (Hcy) level was considerably higher (p<0.001) in vegetarian group compared to omnivores. We further grouped and analyzed our study subjects according to their gender and according to Hcy level (greater than or lower than 15µmol/L). A considerable number of vegetarian subjects 30% were having Hcy >15µmol/L compared to omnivores 6%, (p<0.001). Gender-wise comparison showed that 27.02% male and 38.46% females had >15µmol/L serum Hcy level in vegetarian group and 6.9% male and 3.5% females had >15µmol/L serum Hcy level in omnivores group, but the difference was not significant in any group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vegetarians are more prone to develop hyperhomocysteinemia, so they are at high risk to develop cardiovascular disease.
authors: Aneel Kapoor, MPhil, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Muhammad Medical College, Mirpurkhas, Sind, Pakistan.
authors: Aneel
authors: A
authors: Kapoor
authors: Nudrat Anwar Zuberi, PhD, Professor & Head of Biochemistry Department, BMSI, JPMC, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors: Nudrat Anwar
authors: NA
authors: Zuberi
authors: Muhammad Imran Rathore, MPhil, Department of Anatomy, Muhammad Medical College, Mirpurkhas, Sind, Pakistan.
authors: M Imran
authors: MI
authors: Rathore
authors: Dr Mukhtiar Baig, PhD, MHPE, Professor of Clinical Biochemistry & Head of Assessment Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah- 21577, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors: Mukhtiar
authors: M
authors: Baig
keywords: Homocysteine; Omnivores; Vegetarians