Association of serum homocysteine levels with metabolic syndrome and its components in adults

Abstract

Objective To explore the relationship of serum homocysteine (Hcy) level with metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 594 adults consecutively sampled from people visiting Fuwai Hospital for physical examination between September and December 2012, including 160 MS participants (MS group) and 434 without MS participancs (without MS group). Serum Hcy levels, serum biochemical parameters, and anthropometric measurements of all the participants were collected. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association of serum Hcy levels with MS and its components. Results No significant difference in Hcy levels was observed comparing the MS group and the without MS group [(12.2±7.0)μmol/L vs. (12.6±8.4)μmol/L, P>0.05]. Between participants with and without hyperhomocysteinemia (≥15 μmol/L vs. 0.05). Among participants having 0 to 5 metabolic abnormalities, there were no significant differences in serum Hcy levels [(12.3±7.4)μmol/L; (12.4±6.7)μmol/L; (13.2±11.2)μmol/L; (12.5±7.8)μmol/L; (11.2±2.7)μmol/L; (12.4±4.3)μmol/L; all P>0.05]. In a binary logistic regression model adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, neither MS nor its components were independent predictors of serum Hcy levels (all P>0.05). Conclusions Elevated serum Hcy levels are not associated with MS or its components in people without evident cardiovascular diseases. MS and elevated serum Hcy levels may cause cardiovascular diseases via different mechanisms. Key words: Homocysteine; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic abnormalities; Cardiovascular disease