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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter November 7, 2006

Increased homocysteine in heart failure: a result of renal impairment?

  • Nur Aksoy , Mehmet Aksoy , Mahmut Cakmak , Hasan Serdar Gergerlioglu , Vedat Davutoglu , Serdar Soydinc and Iclal Meram

Abstract

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia may constitute a risk factor for patients with severe heart failure. This study examines the relationship between plasma homocysteine concentration and left ventricular ejection fraction with renal function in heart failure patients free of coronary artery disease.

Methods: Left ventricular ejection fraction was documented in 62 patients with advanced heart failure who had no proven significant coronary artery stenosis. Glomerular filtration rate was measured using the Cockroft-Gault equation.

Results: Elevated homocysteine levels (≥15μmol/L) were detected in 22 patients. Low glomerular filtration rate was observed in patients who had normal serum creatinine concentration. Homocysteine was strongly correlated with age, duration of disease, left ventricular ejection fraction, serum creatinine, and glomerular filtration rate. Statistically significant trends were observed across respective homocysteine quartiles. However, by multivariate regression, the strongest predictor of homocysteine was the glomerular filtration rate.

Conclusions: Impaired renal function leads to a diminished clearance rate, which can be a prominent pathophysiological mechanism in the elevation of homocysteine concentration in heart failure.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44:1324–9.


Corresponding author: Nur Aksoy, MD, University of Gaziantep, Vocational School of Higher Education for Health Services, Gaziantep 27310, Turkey Phone: +90-342-3601200, Fax: +90-342-3603928

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Received: 2006-6-11
Accepted: 2006-8-25
Published Online: 2006-11-7
Published in Print: 2006-11-1

©2006 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York

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