Plasma homocysteine-a marker of vascular disease in elderly patients with mental illness

Background: Total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is elevated in elderly patients with mental illness, and patients with vascular disease have higher plasma tHcy concentration than patients without vascular disease. Method: We investigated the influence of cobalamin/folate status and renal function on the association between plasma tHcy levels and vascular disease. Results: There was a similar degree of significant difference in plasma tHcy levels between patients with and without vascular disease in all enrolled patients and in a group of patients where all those with signs of cobalamin/folate deficiency and/or impaired renal function had been excluded. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that the age-adjusted plasma tHcy was the main predictor of vascular disease in both groups of patients. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the presence of vascular disease itself is associated with elevated levels of plasma tHcy. Plasma tHcy might be a marker of vascular disease in elderly patients with mental illness. (C) 2010 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.