Lifestyle factors and plasma homocysteine concentrations in a general population sample

The authors cross-sectionally investigated the extent to which coffee, tea, and alcohol consumption, physical activity, and smoking were associated wi th nonfasting total plasma homocysteine concentrations in a random sample o f 3,025 Dutch adults aged 20-65 years from a population-based cohort examin ed in 1993-1996 (n = 19,066). The lifestyle factors most strongly associate d with plasma total homocysteine level were smoking (positive), alcohol dri nking (negative), and coffee consumption (positive). The smoking effect was most prominent in women, and the alcohol effect was most pronounced in men . Data indicated that independently of other lifestyle factors, age, and in take of folate and B vitamin supplements, a change in lifestyle could resul t in a 0.1- to 1.7-mu mol/liter change in plasma total homocysteine level. The authors conclude that lifestyle changes could result in a public-health -relevant change in plasma total homocysteine concentrations.