CORRELATES OF PLASMA TOTAL HOMOCYSTEINE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERLIPIDEMIA

The study sought to define the relation of plasma total homocysteine t o biological and clinical variables and to serum vitamin concentration s in patients with primary hyperlipidaemia. Fasting plasma total homoc ysteine was measured in 219 men and 159 women; vitamin concentrations were available for about 60% of the sample. Men had significantly high er plasma total homocysteine than women [median (25th, 75th percentile s) 9.4 (8.2, 11.5) mu mol L-1 vs. 8.5 (7.0, 10.2) mu mol L-1; P = 0.00 01]. Plasma total homocysteine was lower in women taking lipid-lowerin g drugs than in women who were not taking drugs. Serum folate and vita min B-12 concentrations were normal for all but one and four subjects respectively. Correlations (P less than or equal to 0.06) were found b etween plasma total homocysteine and age, triglyceride concentration i n women, uric acid concentration in men, serum folate, vitamin B-12 an d creatinine concentrations. in multiple regression analysis, the asso ciation between plasma total homocysteine and sex and between plasma t otal homocysteine and use of lipid-lowering drugs disappeared when cre atinine concentration was entered into the analysis. This study shows that plasma total homocysteine is related to vitamin concentrations wi thin the normal range, suggesting that plasma total homocysteine may b e modifiable by diet in hyperlipidaemic subjects with normal vitamin n utritition. Sex-related differences appear to be related to men's high er creatinine concentration. Whether lipid-lowering drugs interact wit h total homocysteine concentration requires further study.