Relations of plasma homocysteine to left ventricular geometry and functions

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for heart failure commonly in females. The study aimed at determining Hcy's association with left ventricular (LV) remodeling. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study evaluating the relationship of plasma Hcy to echocardiographic LV structure and function in 65 apparently healthy Nigerians (Mean age 41.87 ± 12.90 years, 52.2% females) without cardiovascular disease. Results: The mean Hcy level was 10.76 ± 2.69 μmol/L with no significant (P = 0.89) sex difference and 50.8% of the subjects had Hcy levels within the fourth quartile (hcy: 10.3–17.5 μmol/L). Plasma Hcy showed no significant (P > 0.05) relationship to LV mass (LVM), wall thickness (WT), relative WT, systolic/tissue-Doppler-derived diastolic function, and left atrial dimension in both sexes. Hyperhomocysteinemia (hcy >10.3 μmol/L) was significantly (P < 0.007) correlated to LVM indexed to height2.7 in all subjects but showed no such association in the unadjusted and adjusted binary logistic regression models. The odd of hyperhomocysteinemic patients having thicker LVM trended more toward females (odds ratio: 1.44, 95% confidence interval, 0.59–3.50) than males. Conclusion: Plasma hyperhomocysteinemia found in healthy Nigerian-Africans shows no relationship to LV remodeling, echocardiographic LV structural and functional parameters.