Influence of menopausal status in homocysteine plasma levels

BACKGROUND: Some studies have found that postmenopausal women have increase d plasma homocysteine levels while others do not. The aim of this study was to know if homocysteine levels are increased in Spanish postmenopausal wom en. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 100 postmenopausal women (age: mean [SD] 56 [6] ye ars) homocysteine, creatinine, folic acid, vitamin B-12 and lipoproteins we re determined. Controls were 50 premenopausal women (age: 29 [6] years), 50 men with similar age to postmenopausal women, and 50 men with similar age to premenopausal women. All the subjects of the study were healthy. RESULTS: Hamocysteine concentrations were higher in postmenopausal compared with premenopausal women (8.6 [2.1]; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 8.2-9.1 vs 7.7 [1.6]; 95% Cl, 7.2-8.1 mu mol/l; p < 0.05), but were not different between both men groups. Hyperhomocysteinemia was found in 9 postmenopausal but in any premenopausal women (9% vs 0%; p = 0.03), Low density lipoprote in cholesterol values were higher (155 [32]; 95% Cl, 148-161 vs 111 [32]; 9 5% Cl, 101-120 mg/dl; p < 0.05), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol l ower (54 [12]; 95% Cl, 52-57 vs 64 [18]; 95% Cl, 59-69 mg/dl; p < 0.05) in postmenopausal than premenopausal women. In postmenopausal women homocystei ne levels were negatively associated with folic acid and positively associa ted with creatinine levels, but there was not association with age, vitamin B-12 serum levels and lipoproteins. CONCLUSION: in postmenopausal women increased homocysteine concentrations, together with hypercholesterolemia, could contribute to the raise of their cardiovascular risk.