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Homocysteine levels in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Ertuğrul Okuyan1, Ahmet Uslu, Mehmet Akif Cakar

  • 1Bagcilar Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. dreokuyan@hotmail.com

Cardiology
|October 1, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Elevated homocysteine (HCY) levels are common in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. This finding suggests hyperhomocysteinemia may play a role in diastolic heart failure.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Elevated homocysteine (HCY) levels are linked to cardiovascular disease risk.
  • Hyperhomocysteinemia is observed in chronic heart failure (CHF) and may contribute to adverse cardiac remodeling and impaired pump function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate homocysteine (HCY) levels in patients diagnosed with diastolic heart failure characterized by preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study involving 68 hospitalized heart failure patients and 40 healthy controls.
  • Heart failure with preserved LVEF was defined as LVEF ≥ 50% based on Framingham criteria.
  • Exclusion criteria included regional wall motion abnormalities, atrial fibrillation, and renal failure.

Main Results:

  • Heart failure patients exhibited significantly higher mean total fasting homocysteine (HCY) concentrations (16.9 μmol/l) compared to controls (10.15 μmol/l).
  • Multiple regression analysis revealed independent associations between hyperhomocysteinemia and NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, E/A ratio, and HbA1C.

Conclusions:

  • Hyperhomocysteinemia is prevalent in individuals with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
  • Further large-scale research is required to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms and impact of hyperhomocysteinemia on the natural course of heart failure.
Abstract

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