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Elevated homocysteine is associated with reduced regional left ventricular function: the Multi-Ethnic Study of

Khurram Nasir1, Michael Tsai, Boaz D Rosen

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Circulation
|January 4, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels are linked to reduced regional left ventricular systolic function in asymptomatic individuals. This finding suggests Hcy may impact heart health even before symptoms appear.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) is a potential risk factor for congestive heart failure.
  • Previous studies suggest a link between Hcy and heart disease in specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between homocysteine levels and regional left ventricular function.
  • To assess cardiac function in an asymptomatic population using advanced imaging techniques.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized tagged magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on 1178 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
  • Calculated regional peak systolic midwall circumferential strains, defining left ventricular regions by coronary territories.
  • Adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, demographics, and measures of atherosclerosis.

Main Results:

  • Reduced regional myocardial circumferential shortening was observed in the left anterior descending and left circumflex territories in relation to plasma Hcy levels.
  • Circumferential systolic dysfunction showed a significant association with elevated log-transformed Hcy levels in these regions.
  • Increased odds of reduced left ventricular strains were found with higher Hcy levels across all analyzed coronary artery regions.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with diminished regional left ventricular systolic function in an asymptomatic cohort.
  • Tagged MRI can detect subtle reductions in cardiac function related to Hcy.
  • These findings highlight Hcy as a potential biomarker for subclinical cardiac impairment.
Abstract

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