Homocysteine as a Risk Factor for Coronary Artery Disease in Pakistan

Pakistani people belong to an ethnic group which has the highest rate of coronary artery disease. There are a number of risk factors for developing the coronary artery disease (CAD). Homocysteine, a sulphur containing amino acid, has been reported to be an independent risk factor for CAD. The present study was done to find out the role of hyperhomocysteinemia in the development of coronary artery disease in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out. There were 40 angiographically diagnosed male patients of coronary artery disease between 30 - 40 years of age taken as cases and 40 age, sex and socioeconomically matched healthy subjects with normal carotid doppler study taken as controls. Fasting venous blood from cases and controls was taken in E.D.T.A vacationers. Plasma was analyzed for homocysteine level by enzyme immunoassay method. Results: Mean plasma concentration of homocysteine in coronary artery disease patients i.e. cases was 13.5 +/- 6.8 mu mol/L and was higher than the mean for controls (10.76 +/- 2.27 mu mol/L) to a significant extent. Conclusion: Hyperhomocysteinemia through interplay with the classical cardiovascular risk factors may be aggravating the risk of coronary artery disease in Pakistani people.