Homocysteine as a risk factor for coronary artery disease and deep venous thrombosis

Abstract EN

Altered Homocysteine metabolism had gained great interest in the last few years as a contributing factor to the development of asthero sclerosis.

It may damage the endothelial cells or it may act as a direct factor in the thromboembolic process.

Recent studies showed a relationship between age, sex, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension and homocystiene levels.

Other studies have linked hyper homocysteinaemia with cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Fortunately, there are strong suggestions that vitamin B6, B12, Folic acid therapy and alteration of life style habits may lower homocystiene levels, hence lowering coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality.

In the present study, we tried to investigate the prevalence and the effect of homocysteinaemia in a sample of our population.

A group of angiographically documented coronary artery disease patients and another group of idiopathic DVT patients documented by duplex studies were compared to an apparently healthy group.

Both CAD and DVT groups showed statistically significant higher homocystiene levels in comparison to the control group.

It was found to be higher in males than females and in older subjects than younger ones.

Patients with positive family history of CVD had higher values than those with negative family history.

On the other hand, smoking and hypertension were found to have a positive impact on homocystiene concentrations, where smokers and hypertensive patients (whether systolic or diastolic) showed higher homocystiene levels when compared to non-smokers and to normotensive subjects.

However, no correlation could be found between homocystiene levels and blood sugar in this study.

Similarly, no significant correlation could be found between the hipid profile and the homocystiene levels in both CAD and DVT groups.