J Korean Acad Fam Med.  2006 Jan;27(1):12-20.

Hyperhomocysteinemia and Cerebrovascular Diseases in Koreans

• Yoon BK
• Lee CG
• Kim RS
• Cha MJ

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hyperhomocysteinemia as a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease is well known. Our aim of this study was to demonstrate positive association between elevated homocysteine levels and cerebrovascular diseases in Koreans.
METHODS
With a case-control design, 186 stroke (infarction 134, hemorrhage 52) patients, diagnosed by brain CT or MRI and 359 control patients were evaluated. We used multiple logistic regression analyses conditioned on the matching variables (sex, age, hypertension, DM, smoking, hyperlipidemia, hyperhomocysteinemia) and calculated odds ratio and 95% CIs.
RESULTS
Multivariated adjusted odds ratios (OR) for cerebrovascular diseases associated with hypertension compared with normal blood pressure were 2.45 (95% CI, 1.16 to 5.15) in prehypertension and 3.33 (95% CI, 1.56 to 7.10) in stage 1 hypertension and 3.77 (95% CI, 1.32 to 10.74) in stage 2 hypertension. OR for cerebrovascular diseases associated with hyperhomocysteinemia compared with <10micromol/L were 2.06 (95% CI, 1.09 to 3.91) in 13.0 to 16.9micromol/L and 3.17 (95% CI, 1.70 to 5.90) in > or =17 micromol/L.
CONCLUSION
Not only hypertension but also hyperhomocysteinemia was a significant risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases in Koreans.

Keyword

homocysteine; cerebrovascular disease; case-control study; odds ratio; Koreans

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Blood Pressure
Brain
Case-Control Studies
Hemorrhage
Homocysteine
Humans
Hyperhomocysteinemia*
Hyperlipidemias
Hypertension
Logistic Models
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Odds Ratio
Prehypertension
Risk Factors
Smoke
Smoking
Stroke
Homocysteine
Smoke