Relations of plasma homocysteine to left ventricular structure and function: The Framingham Heart Study

Johan Sundström, Lisa Sullivan, Jacob Selhub, Emelia J. Benjamin, Ralph B. D'Agostino, Paul F. Jacques, Irwin H. Rosenberg, Daniel Levy, Peter W.F. Wilson, Ramachandran S. Vasan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

96 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aims: Hyperhomocysteinaemia is a risk factor for congestive heart failure, especially in women. We investigated if homocysteine promotes left ventricular (LV) remodelling. Methods and results: We examined cross-sectional relations of plasma total homocysteine to echocardiographic LV structure and function in 2697 Framingham Heart Study participants (mean age 58 years, 58% women) free of heart failure and previous myocardial infarction. Adjusting for age and height, plasma homocysteine was positively related to LV mass, watt thickness, and relative watt thickness in women (p = 0.0004-0.04), but not in men (p = 0.28-0.68). Adjusting additionally for other clinical covariates, the relations of plasma homocysteine to LV mass and wall thickness in women remained statistically significant, but the relation to relative watt thickness became of borderline significance (1.92 g, 0.01 cm, and 0.29% increase, respectively, for a 1-SD increase in ln[homocysteine], p = 0.01-0.08). LV mass and wall thickness were higher in the fourth quartile of plasma homocysteine compared to the lower three in all models in women (p = 0.0003-0.02), but not in men (p = 0.25-0.78). Plasma homocysteine was not related to left atrial size or LV fractional shortening in either sex. Conclusion: In our community-based sample, plasma homocysteine was directly related to LV mass and wall thickness in women but not in men.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)523-530
Number of pages8
JournalEuropean Heart Journal
Volume25
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2004
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Echocardiography
  • Heart failure
  • Left Ventricular hypertrophy
  • Left ventricular remodelling
  • Metabolism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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