Homocysteine measurements in geriatric patients

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Homocysteine is an independent risk factor for vascular disease, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
• Geriatric patients may have altered homocysteine levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the diagnostic correlates of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) in geriatric in-patients.

Main Methods:

• Collected blood samples from 114 geriatric patients in stable condition.
• Analyzed tHcy, serum vitamin B12, serum folate, and red blood cell folate.
• Correlated tHcy with clinical data.

Main Results:

• Nearly 40% of patients had tHcy above 20 micromol/L.
• tHcy significantly correlated with serum folate, serum vitamin B12, serum creatinine, and congestive heart failure.
• No significant correlation was found between tHcy and red blood cell folate, cerebrovascular disease, coronary heart disease, or cognitive impairment.

Conclusions:

• Hyperhomocysteinaemia is frequent in geriatric patients.
• Elevated tHcy may primarily indicate low folate and high creatinine levels.
• These findings are significant for geriatric medicine and risk assessment.