Plasma homocysteine and menopausal status**

Abstract

The aim of the study was to measure the concentrations of plasma homocysteine in premeno-pausal and postmenopausal women, and to examine a possible relationship between plasma homocysteine and oestrogen status. Homocysteine metabolism was studied by a standardized oral methionine loading test, and oestrogen status was assessed by the measurement of serum 17β-oestradiol. Forty-six pre-menopausal and 26 postmenopausal healthy women without a history of vascular disease or adverse pregnancy outcome were recruited by public advertisement. The main outcome measures were the concentrations of fasting and postmethionine plasma homocysteine, and serum 17β-oestradiol. Fasting plasma homocysteine concentrations (mean ± SD) were significantly higher in postmenopausal women as compared to premenopausal women (12 ± 4 μmol L^-1 and 10 ± 3 μmol L^-1, respectively) as well as postmethionine plasma homocysteine concentrations (46 ± 16 μimol L^-1 and 32 ± 9 μmol L^-1, respectively). In premenopausal women, postmethionine plasma homocysteine was negatively and significantly correlated to serum 17β-oestradiol (r=-0.34). It is concluded that plasma homocysteine concentrations, both fasting and after methionine loading, are significantly higher in postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. In premenopausal women, the higher concentrations of serum 17 β-oestradiol may account in part for the lower concentrations of postmethionine plasma homocysteine.