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Homocysteine and cardiovascular risk in patients with diabetes mellitus

Y Yeromenko1, L Lavie, Y Levy

  • 1Department of Medicine A, Haemek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.

Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases : NMCD
|July 4, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Hyperhomocysteinemia, or high homocysteine levels, is common in some diabetes mellitus patients. Further research is needed to understand its link to cardiovascular disease and the impact of normalizing homocysteine levels.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent metabolic disorder linked to high cardiovascular mortality.
  • Traditional risk factors don't fully explain the elevated morbidity in diabetic patients.
  • Hyperhomocysteinemia is strongly associated with premature atherosclerosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the relationship between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus.
  • To explore potential mechanisms linking hyperhomocysteinemia in diabetic individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on diabetes mellitus, B vitamins, and metformin.
  • Analysis of studies reporting plasma homocysteine levels in diabetic patients.

Main Results:

  • Elevated fasting and post-methionine load plasma homocysteine levels are observed in some diabetes mellitus patients, especially those with nephropathy and microalbuminuria.
  • Metformin use and low plasma B vitamin levels are identified as potential contributors to hyperhomocysteinemia in this population.

Conclusions:

  • Abnormal homocysteine concentrations are prevalent in specific subsets of diabetic patients.
  • The direct relationship between homocysteine levels and increased cardiovascular morbidity in diabetes remains unclear.
  • Large prospective studies are necessary to investigate the effects of homocysteine and its normalization on accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetes.
Abstract

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