Plasma Homocysteine Levels and Atherosclerosis in Japan

Abstract

Background and Purpose— We examined whether hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for increased carotid artery intimal-medial wall thickness (IMT) in a large, randomly selected community in Japan where the dietary habit is different and the incidence of coronary artery disease is lower compared with those of western countries. Methods— In 1111 cases (452 men, 659 women) aged 63±10 years old (range, 40 to 94 years) recruited from a population-based survey performed in 1999, we measured fasting plasma total homocysteine levels and performed bilateral carotid B-mode ultrasound. The participants underwent measurements of other blood chemistries (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, and creatinine). Results— For the total population, the mean total homocysteine level was 10.9 μmol/L. Total homocysteine levels were higher in men than in women and increased with aging. With multiple linear regression analysis after adjustments for age and sex, the most powerful determinan...